Side Chair

CultureEnglish
Titles
  • Side Chair
Datec. 1780–1800
Made inEngland
MediumMahogany; unidentified secondary woods and modern horsehair upholstery
Dimensions38 × 22 1/2 × 18 1/2 in. (96.5 × 57.2 × 47 cm)
Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, bequest of Audrey Jones Beck
Object numberB.2011.2
Non exposé

Explore Further

Department
Bayou Bend
Object Type
DescriptionThus far, a published design source for this elegant side chair has not been located in any of the contemporary pattern books; however, the existence of similar examples affirm its origin in Great Britain where it was widely interpreted by a plethora of furniture making shops. Actually, its popularity was even more widespread, extending across the Atlantic to Britain's former colonies situated along the American shores. In the United States the design is most often associated with New York City, in fact one of its artisans, Elbert Anderson, incorporated it into his printed label. Examples emanating from Baltimore and Newport shops provide further evidence of its broad popularity in this country. It is the latter where the most celebrated of these renditions heralds from, a unique set of four labeled by the famed Newport craftsman John Townsend (1732/331809). Two of these iconic chairs are at Bayou Bend, whereas the others are at Winterthur and in a private collection.
Provenance Research Ongoing Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks
No visible signature, marks, or inscriptions.

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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