Mahogany side chair with a crossed splat and caned seat.
Identifier
FPF307
Title
Mahogany side chair with a crossed splat and caned seat.
Date
1800-1820
Description
Mahogany side chair with a crossed splat, part caned, and with a caned seat.
Full Description
This mahogany side chair has a gadroon-carved crest rail with a raised scrolled tablet in the centre. The back has a square splat with diagonally crossed bars set between horizontal rails; the diagonals are terminated in each corner and at the centre with carved lotus-flowers. A narrow panel of canework surrounds the splat. The tapering back posts are continuous with tapering and square-section flared back legs. The seat rails are plain and support a caned seat which probably had a squab cushion, now missing. The front legs are squared and carved at the tops and ring-turned and reeded below, terminating in ‘toupie’ feet (toupie is the French term for a spinning top).
This chair with its crossed bars is related to French Empire-style seat-furniture with artistic references to Ancient Rome and Egypt. Chairs with similar crossed splats are featured in plate 10 in The London Chair-Makers’ and Carvers’ Book of Prices for Workmanship, 1807-11 (see Gilbert, 1982). Most of the designs for the plainer seat-furniture were from the close of the 18th century, and not in the latest fashion (Fastnedge, 1965).
This chair with its crossed bars is related to French Empire-style seat-furniture with artistic references to Ancient Rome and Egypt. Chairs with similar crossed splats are featured in plate 10 in The London Chair-Makers’ and Carvers’ Book of Prices for Workmanship, 1807-11 (see Gilbert, 1982). Most of the designs for the plainer seat-furniture were from the close of the 18th century, and not in the latest fashion (Fastnedge, 1965).
Condition
All four legs have been re-tipped.
The caning in the seat is not original; it has been wrapped over an added rail at the back of the seat indicating this is a later repair.
The left seat rail has been repaired.
Caning in the back is probably original, although damaged.
The caning in the seat is not original; it has been wrapped over an added rail at the back of the seat indicating this is a later repair.
The left seat rail has been repaired.
Caning in the back is probably original, although damaged.
Materials
Mahogany.
Cane.
Cane.
Physical Dimensions
H. 86
W. 51
D. 56
W. 51
D. 56
Parker Numbers
OM 6272. See Frederick Parker Archive, Box 55, Ms. FPA050, page 227.
Provenance
Purchased by Frederick Parker & Sons on 27th October 1930 for £3.11.6.
Notes
C. Gilbert, ‘Part II, London and Provincial Books of Prices: Comment and Bibliography’, Furniture History, 1982, vol. 18, pp. 11-21.
R. Fastnedge, ‘A Manual for Georgian Chair-Makers’, Country Life, 10 June 1965, pp. 1440-1443.
R. Fastnedge, ‘A Manual for Georgian Chair-Makers’, Country Life, 10 June 1965, pp. 1440-1443.
