This chair represents a distinct Boston interpretation of the classically inspired klismos chair. The bold reeding of the legs, stiles, and front seat rail is seen on a number of different Boston models. Seemingly unique to Boston design are the rectangular tablets of the crest and upper stay rails, here ornamented with crisply carved acanthus leaf and scroll decoration.

Technical notes: Mahogany; ash (slip seat), soft maple (front and rear seat rails), mahogany (left seat rail), white oak (left rear corner block.)

Related examples: Very similar chairs were purchased by Nathan Appleton for his Boston house in 1819 (Talbott 1975, pp. 885, 887, fig. 12); the Annual Summer New Hampshire Auction, Manchester, August 5–6, 1995, lots 610, 633. A related pair is at MMA (acc. nos. 1971.180.29–.30). The Bayou Bend chair was one of three purchased by the Sack firm (Talbott 1991, p. 965; Sack 1969–92, vol. 10, p. 2679, no. P6033). For a variant with paw feet, see Tracy et al. 1970, no. 30.

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, 1998.