Designed circa 1979 and cast in bronze around 1980, Fauteuils et têtes de lionnes, seconde version is a quintessential example of Diego Giacometti’s poetic fusion of function and sculpture. This pair of armchairs features lioness heads emerging from the crest rails and clawed forefeet anchoring the front legs—motifs that reflect Giacometti’s lifelong fascination with animals as both structural and symbolic elements.

Giacometti’s use of animal forms was never ornamental in the traditional sense; instead, they were integral to the logic and rhythm of the piece. Here, the lioness heads and paws lend the chairs a mythical quality, evoking guardianship, strength, and quiet elegance. The architectural balance of the chairs—simultaneously skeletal and grounded—underscores the artist’s ability to render bronze as both weightless and monumental.

These works were acquired directly from Giacometti by the Pierre Matisse Gallery in New York, then passed by descent through private hands. An earlier example was sold at Sotheby’s New York in 2007 (Sale N08315, Lot 413). Other casts are illustrated in key monographs including Michel Butor’s Diego Giacometti (1985), Françoise Francisci’s Catalogue de l’oeuvre (1986), and Daniel Marchesseau’s Diego Giacometti (1986).