Side Chair

Public Domain

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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

Not on view

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Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

FURNITURE

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 (1732/33–1809). 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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