A GEORGE III FAUX-BAMBOO SETTEE

CIRCA 1770

Details

A GEORGE III FAUX-BAMBOO SETTEE
circa 1770
The serpentine back and outscrolled arms filled with paling above a drop-in padded seat covered in pale beige fabric, on bamboo-turned legs headed by pierced brackets and joined by similar H-stretchers, re-decorated and with traces of earlier blue decoration beneath, seat frame replaced and probably originally with caned drop-in seat
78in. (198cm.) long

Provenance

Sold in these Rooms, 2 February 1991, lot 202

Lot Essay

This bamboo-patterned settee exemplifies the fashion for furniture designed in the Chinese manner popular after 1750. In 1767, John Linnell supplied '10 neat bamboo chairs with loose seats' of a similar design to William Drake at Shardeloes at a cost of £22 10s (see H. Hayward and P.Kirkham, William and John Linnell, 1980, vol.I, p.101 and vol.II, fig.58). Thomas Chippendale supplied '6 India Back and arm Chairs japand to imitate Bamboo' for Sir Gilbert Heathcote in 1768 (C.Gilbert, The Life and Works of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol.I, pp.249-250). Chippendale considered Chinese chair patterns 'very proper for a Lady's Dressing-Room; especially if it is hung with India paper...they have commonly cane-bottoms, with loose cushions'.

A settee of this design was sold at Christie's London, 19 April 1990, lot 63.