LATE 18TH CENTURY

These chairs with their distinct wheel-backs are very similar in style to a set of cartouche wheel-back chairs illustrated in ‘The Balcony Room’ at Dyrham Park, Gloucestershire, and also to a further set of oval wheel-back chairs, also at Dyrham (A. Mitchell, Dyrham Park, London, 1995, p. 14; NT inventory no. 452996). The former are sometimes described as 'French Hepplewhite’ style although their shape can be seen earlier in John Linnell’s upholstered chairs dated 1768 for Shardeloes (H. Hayward, P. Kirkham, William and John Linnell, Eighteenth Century London Furniture Makers, p. 34, fig. 61). In 1774, Thomas Chippendale was also supplying green and white 'japanned' ‘Star back’ chairs for Paxton House, Scotland (C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, p. 271 and fig. 164). There are no extant pieces of furniture made by Hepplewhite or his firm but his name is associated with a distinctive style of light, elegant furniture fashionable between circa 1775 and 1800; the ‘Hepplewhite’ terminology was especially prevalent in the early-mid 20th century to describe such chairs. Unfortunately a firm attribution for the pattern offered here remains elusive. A set of twelve mahogany dining-chairs with virtually identical backs, formerly in the collection of the Earl of Plymouth, were sold Christie's, London, 17 May 2017, lot 91 (£100,000 including premium).