Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Angelique Chrisafis in Paris

French furniture expert and restorer guilty of fake 18th-century chair scam

Bill Pallot
Bill Pallot was known as the world’s leading expert on 18th-century royal French furniture. Photograph: Foc Kan/WireImage

A French furniture expert and a renowned restorer have been found guilty of conning the art world with a multimillion-euro scam in which they faked 18th-century chairs they claimed had adorned the rooms of historic figures including Marie Antoinette.

In one of the biggest forgery scandals to hit the French art world for decades, the two men duped not just wealthy collectors including a Qatari prince but also the Palace of Versailles.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.