Mahogany armchair with carved splat and upholstered seat.
Identifier
FPF172
Title
Mahogany armchair with carved splat and upholstered seat.
Date
1930-1935 with crest rail, splat and right arm c.1770.
Description
A mahogany armchair with a carved and pierced splat and upholstered seat.
Full Description
This mahogany armchair was made by Frederick Parkers in the 1930s, using the crest rail, splat and right arm of late 18th century chair. The back is formed of three arches, the outer edges decorated with a beaded moulding and the front faces carved in low relief with acanthus leaves and palms. The splat is carved and pierced into four roundels, each with a stylised anthemion, or honeysuckle. The arms have pads of upholstery and are curved outwards, carved with acanthus leaves and terminate with a ball. They rest on down-swept and fluted supports, incised at the base in the form of a Greek key. The seat rails are shaped and curved and the seat itself and the arm pads are upholstered with leather covers secured with rows of domed nails. The front legs are square in section, tapering, reeded and fluted, the tops with carved roundels in the form of a sun-burst. The feet are carved with acanthus leaves beneath a squared moulding. The back legs are square in section, tapering and flared.
The style of the chair is neo-classical in form and decoration; it is similar to chairs made by John Linnell for Osterley House and Kenwood House in the 1770s (Edwards, 1966).
The Frederick Parker Collection includes several examples of chairs made up from a few period elements, like this one. Often the results were not intended to be perfect copies of actual chairs but were designed to suit the commercial needs of the company in making reproduction furniture suitable for domestic and contract customers. In this chair the front legs are copies from another chair in the Collection, FPF 209A. The Collection also includes hundreds of chair parts which the designers and craftsmen would have used as reference material.
The style of the chair is neo-classical in form and decoration; it is similar to chairs made by John Linnell for Osterley House and Kenwood House in the 1770s (Edwards, 1966).
The Frederick Parker Collection includes several examples of chairs made up from a few period elements, like this one. Often the results were not intended to be perfect copies of actual chairs but were designed to suit the commercial needs of the company in making reproduction furniture suitable for domestic and contract customers. In this chair the front legs are copies from another chair in the Collection, FPF 209A. The Collection also includes hundreds of chair parts which the designers and craftsmen would have used as reference material.
Condition
The upholstery and leather covers are original to the chair, c.1930.
Materials
Mahogany.
Upholstery.
Upholstery.
Physical Dimensions
H. 97
W. 61
D. 58
W. 61
D. 58
Parker Numbers
The front seat rail is stamped U6576.
The back seat rail is painted with the numbers 172/6271.
The back seat rail is painted with the numbers 172/6271.
Provenance
Made up by Frederick Parker & Son in the 1930s.
Notes
Ralph Edwards, Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, 1966, p.155.
