The Rococo style was introduced in Boston by 1744, its inspiration emanating from French designs that combined naturalistic elements in asymmetrical fantasies. During the nineteenth century this furniture was first referred to as Chippendale, in honor of the London cabinetmaker’s 1754 volume, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director, the most complete and widely distributed furniture design book up to that time. While the pattern of this side chair is reminiscent of one of Chippendale’s plates, the direct source was in all likelihood an imported chair. By this date in England, the Late Baroque ball-and-claw foot was passing from fashion, as evidenced by Chippendale’s predilection for scrolled and Marlborough legs. The latter, referring to straight, square leg, was commented on in Boston as early as 1746.

Technical notes: Mahogany, black cherry (rear seat rail); soft maple (slip seat). Both stretchers and seat rails are molded on top. The banister is set into the shoe. A strip attached inside the rear seat rail provides additional support for the slip seat. The seats retain their original foundation and crewelwork covers. The front seat rail of B.69.138.1 is stamped III and is notched eight times on its slip seat. The seat rail of B.69.138.2 is stamped IIII and bears the ink initials MML on its slip seat.

Related examples: The attribution of the Bayou Bend chairs is based on a documented pair (Jobe and Kaye 1984, pp. 411–12, no. 123). Variants include Biddle 1963, p. 8, no, 14; Sack 1969–92, vol. 3, p. 611, no. 1391; Bishop 1972, p. 150, no. 183; Sack 1969–92, vol. 4, pp. 1080–81, no. P4000; Sack 1969–92, vol. 5, pp. 1260–61, no. P4259; Kane 1976, pp. 113–14, no. 95.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1988.