Mahogany side chair with solid baluster splat and cabriole legs.

FPF371

Mahogany side chair with solid baluster splat and cabriole legs.

1920-1930

Mahogany side chair with a solid baluster splat, cabriole legs and drop-in upholstered seat.

This mahogany side chair has a shaped concave crest rail which is continuous with waisted and moulded back posts. A solid baluster-shaped splat, carved with ‘paper-scrolls’ in the middle, joins a ‘shoe’ fitted on the rear seat rail. The tapered drop-in seat rests on square-section and moulded-edge seat rails. The chair is raised on cabriole legs at the front with acanthus carving on the knees and ears, terminating in carved paw feet. The back legs are cabriole, flared and with pad feet; they are joined by a high turned stretcher. The upholstery and leather cover on the drop-in seat are contemporary with the chair’s construction.

This is a well-made reproduction made by Frederick Parker & Sons in the early 20th century, copying chairs dating from the 1730s, typically in walnut; see for example those supplied by Daniel Bell and Thomas Moore to Sandon Hall, Staffordshire in 1734 (Bowett, 2009). It demonstrates the skill of the Parker craftsmen in making high-quality reproductions, which were both popular and more affordable than genuine antiques.

For similar period chairs in the Frederick Parker Collection see FPF073 and FPF080.

The upholstery and cover are original but in poor condition.

Mahogany.
Upholstery.

H 99
W. 63
D. 56

Attached paper label reads: ‘CN-5/75’

Made by Frederick Parker & Sons.

A. Bowett, Early Georgian Furniture 1715-1740, Woodbridge, 2009, p. 180, Plate 4:73.