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Lot Essay
These Chinese-latticed parlor chairs reflect the 'Modern' style introduced in the 1750s with their fusion of Roman form combined with the Chinese style encouraged by the seat patterns issued in William Chambers, Designs of Chinese Buildings, 1757. Their backs include 'double braced paling' as featured in William Halfpenny's Twenty New Designs of Chinese Lattice, 1750; and their lozenged splat relates to one engraved in Matthias Darly's New Book of Chinese, Gothic and Modern Chairs, 1751; and later reissued in R. Manwaring, The Chair-Maker's Guide, 1766, pl. 43 (E. White, Pictorial Dictionary of British 18th Century Furniture Design, Woodbridge, 1990, p. 82). Such Chinese-railed chairs were well suited to the floral Chinese-papered bedroom apartments of the period, particularly the dressing rooms, which served as reception and tearooms.
A pair of identical chairs, presumably from the same set, was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 28 November 2002, lot 76 (£ 19,120, including premium). One of the chairs from this set of six is illustrated M. Harris & Sons, The English Chair, London, 1946, pl. LX1X. Two pairs of related chairs, with the same fret and pillar pattern, previously those of Sir Emmanuel Kaye C.B.E, were sold Christie's, London, 29 November 2001, lots 50 & 51 (each lot selling for £69,750, including premium). A related set of eight chairs, with different splat, was sold anonymously Christie's, London, 7 November 1985, lot 77.
The industrialist Frank Green (d. 1955) likely acquired these chairs from M. Harris & Sons as he had a longstanding relationship with this retailer. Moss Harris provided furnishings for Treasurer's House in York upon its refurbishment beginning in 1897. Green undertook the task of renovating his home with the assistance of architect Temple Moore and the firm of Watts and Company and under the direction of J.L. Davenport. Frank Green donated the Treasurer's House, York to the National Trust in 1930, and was described in 1922 by Christopher Hussey as a pioneer 'of the present taste for beautiful furniture'. Green continued to work with M. Harris & Sons in the furnishing of his new home in Dulverton, Somerset, as evidenced by an invoice for a Louis XV secrétaire serre bijoux dated 8 May 1946, which was subsequently sold Christie's, London, 12 December 2002, lot 170.
A pair of identical chairs, presumably from the same set, was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 28 November 2002, lot 76 (£ 19,120, including premium). One of the chairs from this set of six is illustrated M. Harris & Sons, The English Chair, London, 1946, pl. LX1X. Two pairs of related chairs, with the same fret and pillar pattern, previously those of Sir Emmanuel Kaye C.B.E, were sold Christie's, London, 29 November 2001, lots 50 & 51 (each lot selling for £69,750, including premium). A related set of eight chairs, with different splat, was sold anonymously Christie's, London, 7 November 1985, lot 77.
The industrialist Frank Green (d. 1955) likely acquired these chairs from M. Harris & Sons as he had a longstanding relationship with this retailer. Moss Harris provided furnishings for Treasurer's House in York upon its refurbishment beginning in 1897. Green undertook the task of renovating his home with the assistance of architect Temple Moore and the firm of Watts and Company and under the direction of J.L. Davenport. Frank Green donated the Treasurer's House, York to the National Trust in 1930, and was described in 1922 by Christopher Hussey as a pioneer 'of the present taste for beautiful furniture'. Green continued to work with M. Harris & Sons in the furnishing of his new home in Dulverton, Somerset, as evidenced by an invoice for a Louis XV secrétaire serre bijoux dated 8 May 1946, which was subsequently sold Christie's, London, 12 December 2002, lot 170.