A SET OF SIX DUTCH MAHOGANY DINING-CHAIRS

CIRCA 1760

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A SET OF SIX DUTCH MAHOGANY DINING-CHAIRS
CIRCA 1760
EACH WITH CARTOUCHE-SHAPED CHANNELLED PADDED BACK AND SEAT COVERED IN CLOSE-CUT RED FLORAL VELVET, THE TOPRAIL CENTRED BY A FLORAL SPRAY, ON CABRIOLE LEGS TERMINATING IN CLAW-AND-BALL FEET, ONE CHAIR WITH PAPER LABEL INSCRIBED IN INK .OSTELEIN, RESTORATIONS (6)

Lot Essay

THE STRINGENT FRENCH GUILD REGULATIONS, WHICH CLEARLY STIPULATED THAT ALL BRANCHES OF THE DECORATIVE ARTS WERE CARRIED OUT IN DIFFERENT WORKSHOPS, OBSTRUCTED ANY OVERLAPPING ACTIVITIES BETWEEN CHAIR-AND CABINET-MAKERS' WORKSHOPS. A SIMILAR SET OF RULES WAS IN USE IN HOLLAND ALTHOUGH THESE WERE NOT WELL-OBSERVED. AS A RESULT, CHAIRS WERE FREQUENTLY PRODUCED IN CABINET-MAKER'S WORKSHOPS AND CHAIR-MAKERS BECAME ENGAGED IN CABINET-WORK. THIS SET OF CHAIRS COULD THEREFORE HAVE BEEN MADE BY BOTH CRAFTSMEN. (R.J. BAARSEN, DE AMSTERDAMSE MEUBELLOTERIJEN, ZWOLLE, 1992, P. 43)

THE PRESSED VELOURS COVERING, OR VELOURS FRAPPé, OF THESE CHAIRS MAY ONLY BE THE SECOND COVERING OF THESE CHAIRS, AS THERE ARE VIRTUALLY NO OTHER NAIL-HOLES VISIBLE ON THE SEAT-RAIL OTHER THAN THOSE USED FOR THE PRESENT COVERING. THIS TYPE OF UPHOLSTERY, DECORATED WITH AN ASYMMETRIC SUNFLOWER, WAS GENERALLY CALLED ZONNEBLOEMTRIJP, AND ENJOYED CONSIDERABLE POPULARITY IN HOLLAND THROUGHOUT THE 18TH CENTURY. (R.J. BAARSEN, NEDERLANDSE MEUBELEN 1600-1800, RIJKSMUSEUM AMSTERDAM, 1993, PP. 106-107)

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