SPAIN, 19TH CENTURY

Details

A PAIR OF 'MOORISH' IVORY AND HARDWOOD VENEERED FOLDING CHAIRS
SPAIN, 19TH CENTURY
After the Nasrid original, the curving X-frames with scrolling arms resting on splayed stretchers, the surface covered with fine geometric inlay including floral roundels and chequered edging, the leather seat stamped with stamped arabesque interlace design around a central crest, the leather back stamped with the Nasrid motto within an arabesque border, very slight loss of inlay, leather dry and splitting, minor flaking and splitting of the wood
35¼in. (89.9cm.) high; 26 1/8in. (66.2cm.) wide (2)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Another chair of this type was sold in these Rooms, 14 October 2003, lot 60. These examples belong to a small group of nineteenth century chairs made after the Nasrid original. Two original examples whose date is not disputed are the chair in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Otto Kurz, " Folding Chairs and Koran stands", in Ettinghausen, R.(ed.), Islamic Art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1972, pp.299-314 esp. p.305), and that in the Alhambra, Granada (Arte Islamico en Granada, exhibition catalogue, Granada, 1995, no.188, pp.436-7). In the nineteenth century however, with the increase in popularity of all things Islamic, and the wide variety of items made commemorating the Alhambra, a number of copies of these chairs were made. Two nineteenth century examples which are very similar to the present chair are published in Alonzo, Mara Paz Aguil, El Mueble en España, siglos XVI-XVII, Madrid, 1993, no.309, p.351). Both examples illustrated there have the same stamped Nasrid motto on the leather back panel as is seen here.

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