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Lot Essay
This lot is of a model that was recorded at Hackwood Park, Hampshire, and Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire. Both suites are now dispersed and of the same construction and so it is possible that this chair is from either.
Two pairs of bergeres from the Hackwood suite were sold by Lord Bolton at Christie's London, 24 June 1965, lot 17, and what was probably a pair from that four was sold again, anonymously at Christie's London, 19 November 1992, lot 49 and offered again at Sotheby's London, 19 November 1993, lot 74. Confirmation that they were from the same suite is provided by their variations in construction: one armchair was constructed in the solid, just the variation between lots 119 and 120 in the Hackwood sale. Three chairs were sold in the Hackwood house sale, Christie's London, 20-22 April 1998, lots 119-120.
A suite of this pattern, comprising settees, armchairs and chairs, is likely to have been commissioned by Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis (d.1772), for Powis Castle, Wales or Oakly Park, Shropshire, at the time he was employing the Cheshire architect William Baker (d.1771) to carry out improvements to both properties in the 1750s (M. Hall, 'Powis Castle', Country Life, 21 October 1993, p. 891, figs. 5 and 6).
A set of eight side chairs of this model were sold from Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, Christie's London, 11 July 1948, lot 62, and possibly the same set were sold by the Hon. Mrs. Brian Rootes, Christie's London, 8 February 1973, lot 103. A pair of armchairs of this pattern were exhibited by Norman Adams Ltd., at the Antique Dealers' Fair in 1948 and a pair of chairs was sold anonymously at Sotheby's New York, 8-9 December 1989, lot 483. A further armchair was sold anonymously, Christie's London, 13 November 1997, lot 69 and another from the Henle collection, Sotheby's London, 6 February 1998, lot 91.
Two pairs of bergeres from the Hackwood suite were sold by Lord Bolton at Christie's London, 24 June 1965, lot 17, and what was probably a pair from that four was sold again, anonymously at Christie's London, 19 November 1992, lot 49 and offered again at Sotheby's London, 19 November 1993, lot 74. Confirmation that they were from the same suite is provided by their variations in construction: one armchair was constructed in the solid, just the variation between lots 119 and 120 in the Hackwood sale. Three chairs were sold in the Hackwood house sale, Christie's London, 20-22 April 1998, lots 119-120.
A suite of this pattern, comprising settees, armchairs and chairs, is likely to have been commissioned by Henry Herbert, 1st Earl of Powis (d.1772), for Powis Castle, Wales or Oakly Park, Shropshire, at the time he was employing the Cheshire architect William Baker (d.1771) to carry out improvements to both properties in the 1750s (M. Hall, 'Powis Castle', Country Life, 21 October 1993, p. 891, figs. 5 and 6).
A set of eight side chairs of this model were sold from Wentworth Woodhouse, Yorkshire, Christie's London, 11 July 1948, lot 62, and possibly the same set were sold by the Hon. Mrs. Brian Rootes, Christie's London, 8 February 1973, lot 103. A pair of armchairs of this pattern were exhibited by Norman Adams Ltd., at the Antique Dealers' Fair in 1948 and a pair of chairs was sold anonymously at Sotheby's New York, 8-9 December 1989, lot 483. A further armchair was sold anonymously, Christie's London, 13 November 1997, lot 69 and another from the Henle collection, Sotheby's London, 6 February 1998, lot 91.