A SET OF TEN WALNUT DINING-CHAIRS

19TH CENTURY

Details
A SET OF TEN WALNUT DINING-CHAIRS
19th Century
Each with pierced scrolling top rail centred by an urn above a pierced scrolling seat back centred by a fruiting urn above a padded seat covered in floral patterned material, on shell-headed cabriole legs joined by a pierced shaped stretcher centred by an urn, on Spanish scroll feet, the reverse of the seat incised with Roman numerals, restorations (10)
Sale room notice
Please note that approximately half the seat rails are later replacements.

Chairs of this pattern, were photographed in 1874 among the Byron relics at Newstead Abbey, Nottingham. In the Newstead Abbey sale of 10-13 January 1921, lot 738 comprised 'A set of 6 William and Mary chairs', which included one upholstered in needlewook and displaying the arms of Lord Byron.

Lot Essay

These richly serpentined chairs are conceived in the Louis XIV style popularised around 1700 by the 'Livres d'Appartements' issued by Daniel Marot (d. 1752), 'architect' to William III. Their carved frames celebrate 'peace and plenty' with urns and fruit and flower vases displayed amongst Roman acanthus on lambrequined pedestals. A related set of eighteen chairs, with flower-basket backs, was acquired by the National Trust from the Sir James Horlick collection for Dyrham Park, Gloucestershire (J. Kenworthy Brown, Dyrham Park, National Trust Guidebook, 1995, p. 8).

A pair of early eighteenth century chairs of this same pattern, reputed to have come from Hamilton Palace, Scotland are at Temple Newsam House, Leeds (see C. Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, vol. II, London, 1978, no. 546; and A. Bowett, 'Myths of English Furniture History: Anglo-Dutch', Antique Collecting, October 1999, p. 32

A further set, the Property of the late N. D. Newman Esq. and the late Mrs C. Newman, were offered in these Rooms, 29 November 1979, lot 13.

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