A Duchesse brisee is a French piece of furniture, a daybed split into three parts and the name literally means “Broken Duchess”. This concept is originally from Egypt. During the 1st Dynasty, examples of these type of loungers were found in tombs. Not to be outdone though the Greeks invented the lounging couch as a substitute for a chair when dining and even Later still Romans used a similar daybed for both sleeping at night and resting during the day. Around 1740 was when the French invented the Duchesse Brisee.
It was designed in three parts, two “gondola type” chairs with a “labouret” between them, it was detachable and could be used as two seats and a foot stool.
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