Versailles Armchair for Marie Antoinette
LOUIS XVI GILTWOOD FAUTEUIL EN BERGERE
BY FRANCOIS (II) FOLIOT, 1780-81
Supplied in kit form and made from pewter with mdf and card inserts
This is a slightly larger than usual chair as it is an Armchair and was designed to make a grand statement. 
depth 5cm 
height to seat 3.2cm
width at front of seat 7cm
total height 9cm
Width of back 5.5cm
Made from Pewter with card and mdf inserts
More information regarding this chair can be found by visiting:
 
https://www.christies.com/lot/lot-a-royal-louis-xvi-giltwood-fauteuil-en-5917470/?
 
Supplied unaged - ready for tidying which will mean small nodules will need to be sanded or snapped off - this is super easy to do and takes just a minute or two.
 
The following information about the chair was extracted from:
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/marie-antoinette-louis-xvi-gilt-wood-chair
Christie’s has announced an extremely rare lot up for auction on July 9 in London: a Louis XVI gilt-wood fauteuil en bergère that was designed for Marie Antoinette estimated at $459,000 to $766,000. The chair was made by François II Foliot, after a 1780 model by Jacques Gondoin, and features a sculpture by either Pierre-Edmé Babel or Toussaint Foliot. “It is a rare privilege to handle the sale of this exquisite and historic chair, which is an incredible piece of royal history,” says Amelia Walker of Christie’s London. “It was made for one of Marie Antoinette’s most personal retreats at Versailles, the Pavillon Belvédère in the jardin anglais at the Petit Trianon. This chair was part of the most expensive suite of seat furniture ever supplied to the queen, and is the only armchair to have survived.”
According to Christie’s, Marie Antoinette requested seating “in the very latest taste,” and court designer Gondoin provided her with a wax model for the armchair, complete with upholstery samples. The model still exists and is on display at the Louvre. The suite is known to have cost 20,000 livres and was later sold post-French revolution
 
NOTES
Metal Items
As with all my metal designs the pieces will require a little cleaning using a file and/or sandpaper. The metal is very soft so this is a simple and satifying part of the build process. It is possible to bend some parts on some metal items. This is both a positive and negative. Very thin items can bend slightly when posted. I always suggest gently guiding the metal back to its original place if this should happen. BUT please note: Do not put the metal item in the oven as it will melt at low temperature - the same applies to using heatguns. 
 
I tend to use superglue (Hafixx being my favoured choice) with a super glue activator to speed things up. Superglue will semi cure within seconds and with an activator it will semi cure within a second or two. However please note the the glue will not be fully cured for another 24 hours.
 
To paint the item I strongly recommend a metal primer. Spray primers are the easiest to use and just a light coat with give the paint something to 'key' with......then the choice is yours. I use all types of paints from acrylics to cellulose spray paints. All have their own merits and so I choose according to the finish I wish to create.
 
After applying my coats of paint I will always add an aging layer of raw umber acrylic (water it down and then paint and wipe off to leave the dark paint in the recesses). Aging can be very rewarding and there are many options for this. One little recommendation is to use rotten stone/pumice stone powder to add what I like to describe as "dust" to the piece. It is a powder and will always be a powder unless mixed with a binder such as glue. The powder is a soft grey and if it is brushed on then off it will leave a slight dusting in the recesses of the design. 
A final flourish of splatter (very subtle brown/grey applied with by splattering the paint from a bristled brush such as a toothbrush) adds a little more interest. 
 
You can always create a more worn look by layering colours and removing layers to reveal what is underneath. A tip here is to add the extra colours where you will rub away and dont make the layers thick - there is no need to add layers into fine recesses unless that is where you want to reveal a colour. 
 
If you wish to give your painted surface extras "depth" and aged interest then using a soft brown wax (I like to use annie sloane Dark wax - it is easy to use and doesnt smell) as a final coat. You can choose to polish to a high sheen or just a soft polish for age. You can also mix waxes - I love to add liming wax (white wax) to brown wax if I want a softer look. You can always finish with a dusting of dust. 
 
Finally on painted items you can always finish with a flick of off white (you can do this on gilt too but you would need to use a brown such as raw or burnt umber). Take a brush and apply a small amount of paint then work most of the paint off so that you are left with a trace of paint on the brush. Brush this lightly over the item so that you catch the raised areas and the corners and edges of the items. How much you apply is up to you and you can have so much fun experimenting to see what looks best for your chosen design. 
 
If your painting goes wrong you can remove it by dipping the item into acetone for a few minutes and scrubbing off the paint with a toothbrush. Note it will also dismantle your model as it will weaken the glue!!!