Lot Essay
These serpentined and compass-seated parlour chairs, with ribbon-fret backs, reflect the 'new taste' at King George II's court, as illustrated in chair patterns issued in William de la Cour's First Book of Ornament (1741) and hall chair patterns in Matthias Darly's New Book of Chinese, Gothic and Modern Chairs (1751) (see E. White, Pictorial Dictionary of British 18th Century Furniture Design, Woodbridge, 1990, pp.59 and 124). See C. L. Crossman, op.cit., p.229 for a discussion on English-style furniture, and p.231, colour pl.83 for one of a pair of very similar chairs in the Richard Milhender collection. The back pattern also features on a pair of Chinese black-lacquered and gilt-flowered chairs sold from Warwick Castle at Christie's London, 21 March 1968 lot 108. A Cantonese hardwood suite comprising two armchairs and twelve chairs of this same exotic pattern, and likewise flowered with lotus-scrolls, was presented in 1819 to Lady Salisbury at Hatfield House, Hertfordshire (see Lord David Cecil, Hatfield House, 1992, p.23); and another suite comprising a settee and twelve chairs was sold at Sotheby's London, 17 March 1967, lot 121; while a further set of fifteen chairs was sold in these Rooms on 20 May 1971. A pair of chairs from the set of twelve previously sold at Christie's London, was exhibited in A Tale of Three Cities, Canton, Shanghai & Hong Kong, Catalogue, no.218