James Graham
Side Chair

Side Chair

Public Domain

Side Chair
MakerAmerican, born Scotland, 1728–1808
CultureAmerican
Titles
  • Side Chair
Datec. 1755–1775
Made inBoston, Massachusetts, United States
MediumMahogany; soft maple and red oak
Dimensions37 1/2 × 24 1/2 × 22 3/4 in. (95.3 × 62.2 × 57.8 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by the Theta Charity Antiques Show and the Lora Jean Kilroy Accession Endowment
Object numberB.2017.18
Current Location
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens
Chippendale Bedroom
Exposé

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Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
DescriptionWith its well-carved ornamentation and close similarities to English examples, this side chair exhibits the epitome of the eighteenth-century Boston carver’s craft. It is distinguished for its old surface and especially for its hairy-paw feet, a great rarity in American furniture. Reserved for exceptionally fine pieces, the hairy-paw feet are nearly identical to English examples and are quite unusual in Massachusetts furniture. Even more, it is an exceptional work of two craftsmen: a chairmaker that recent scholarship identifies as Scottish immigrant craftsman James Graham (1728–1808) and an unidentified carver, whose design closely followed English prototypes. Its design is a virtual copy of several known English chairs, two of which have histories in the Boston area. This side chair was originally part of a set of at least ten that, according to the family history associated with two examples, was made for Moses Gill (1734–1800), a Massachusetts lieutenant governor.
ProvenanceProbably Moses Gill (1733–1800), Massachusetts lieutenant governor, Boston and Princeton, Massachusetts; by descent in the Lazell and Mitchell families, Bridgewater, Massachusetts; […]; private owner, purchased at a sale in Weston, Massachusetts; consigned to Christie’s, New York, January 15, 1999, lot 701; purchased by private owner; consigned for private sale to Christie’s, New York; purchased by MFAH, 2017.
Exhibition History"Theta Charity Antiques Show," George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston, November 14–19, 2018.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
[no inscriptions]
Numbered “V” on rear rail and “X” on slip-seat frame

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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