CIRCA 1785, ATTRIBUTED TO B. HARMER

Little is known of the talented chair maker B. Harmer, other than the exemplary quality of the surviving chairs bearing his stamp, which were generally produced in the highly fashionable neoclassical late Louis XVI style of the closing years of the 18th century. It has been suggested that he may have subcontracted work from other leading makers and designers of the late 18th century, and early 19th century, rather than supplying clients directly, which may account for the lack of records pertaining to his work. It is possible to determine, from B. Harmer's surviving stamped output, certain traits common amongst his oeuvre, such as the recurring use of the distinctive column flanked tablet-shaped back and the refined manner of the turned and fluted decoration of the frames. These chairs, derived from Louis Seize 'cabriolet' chair patterns in Thomas Sheraton's The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book, 1793, (pls. XXXII and XXXVI) are directly related to several known examples of Harmer's work, including a set of four armchairs of almost identical outline, sold Christie's London, 10 July 2003, lot 91. The exceptional quality of his surviving work is best illustrated by the suite of magnificent dolphin seat furniture, supplied by Marsh and Tatham of Mount Street, circa 1797-1799, for the music room at Powderham Castle, Devon, designed by James Wyatt (d. 1813), for William, 3rd Viscount Courtenay (1768-1835), and sold Christie's London, 5 July 1990, lots 50-51 and 5 December 1991, lots 222-223. The stamp B. Harmer appears on both the chairs and the sofas from the Powderham Castle suite which is unusual for furniture supplied by another firm, in such cases it was customary to stamp simply with initials, if at all. A number of further chairs stamped B. Harmer are noted in G. beard & C. Gilbert ed. Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds, 1986, p. 399.