Lot Essay
This chair is part of a small group of furniture commissioned by Philadelphia's wealthy cognoscenti that brought cutting edge contemporary European design to the colonies. With its dovetailed front legs and cabriole rear legs, this chair is one of the earliest manifestations of the Queen Anne aesthetic in America. Stylistically, the slender lines, attenuated raised lamb's tongue carving of the feet and ankles and delicate beading of the returns of this chair suggest an Anglo-Irish cabinetmaking tradition.
"The most important man in Philadelphia between the era of William Penn and the age of Benjamin Franklin..." (Shepherd, v), James Logan arrived in America in 1699 as secretary, legal advisor, and representative for William Penn. In addition to this official capacity, in which he remained after Penn's return to England, he also negotiated with the Indians, was a merchant, fur trader, scientist and entrepreneur. The patriarch of one of early eighteenth century Philadelphia's most important families, Logan acquired the land 5½ miles north of Philadelphia for what would become Stenton in 1714. By 1723 ground was broken for the mansion, with the Logan family moving all their persoanl effects from Philadelphia to Stenton in 1730.
While Logan's financial records between the years 1728-1739 have not come to light, records pre-dating and post-dating this time show he purchased furniture and goods from England for his business and American-made goods for his personal property. That Logan chose locally made goods for his home is a significant statement regarding his opinion of the quality of these goods. It seems plausible, though, that he may have kept a breast of current styles through his imports; Logan is known to have imported cabriole legged English furniture as early as 1714. Accordingly, with such fashionable English designs readily available, the earliness with which he incoprorated new European designs into his new home is not surprising. In addition, a relatively early date of manufacture for this easy chair is suggested as these forms were initially used for invalids; a series of falls which rendered Logan almost inambulatory between 1728 and 1733 would provide precisely the need for such a chair.
Logan's 1752 estate inventory shows that much of the furnishings he initially used at Stenton still retained a place of importance in the house despite their outmoded nature by mid-century. The Queen Anne easy chair illustrated here, along with other more expensive walnut furniture, sat in the front parlour or "guest dining room and best reception room" (Shepherd, p. 50). In addition to these more important items in the household, "a quantity of china, 329 oz. plate, 2 cases of knives and forks, brass andirons, chimney furniture, a large looking glass, a scutore, [an easy chair], 10 black leather-bottomed chairs" (Shepherd, p. 52) also attests to the importance of this chamber.
A small group of leather-bottomed side chairs associated with Philadelphia upholsterer Plunkett Fleeson relate to the easy chair illustrated here (see Sewell, et al, Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art (Philadelphia: PMA, 1976, pp. 34-35, fig. 27). With their similarly designed compass seat and lamb's tongue-embellished cabriole front legs, these leather-bottomed chairs and the Logan easy chair form a possible foundation upon which subsequent Philadelphia Queen Anne design and construction may have been based. In addition to their aesthetic relationship,these chairs were also owned by several of Philadelphia's most prominent citizens including Benjamin Shoemaker (1704-1767; Mayor of Philadelphia 1753), Provincial Governor Anthony Palmer and Caspar Wistar. A related cabriole legged backstool owned by James Logan (Hornor, pl. 308) links these sidechairs with his more elaborately upholstered easy chair and strengthens the aesthetic connection between these forms. Fleeson advertised these chairs, probably as a competitor to popularly imported Boston chairs, in the 1730's. With other local cabinetmakers such as Solomon Fussell fabricating "crook'd feet" chairs as early as the late 1720's, a date of 1730-1735 is entirely plausible for the chair illustrated here. Several related chairs with Logan family provenance share the basic aesthetic features of this group of leather bottomed sidechairs, and are illustrated in Hornor, pls. 307, 308 and 310.
Although its slim proportions and verticality suggest the lines of William and Mary design, the overall alternating play of serpentine forms demonstrate a fully developed Queen Anne aesthetic (see detail). In addition, several construction features of the chair distinguish it from later Philadelphia forms, thus also supporting an earlier date of manufacture. In contrast to the more typical round or quarter-round tenon joining the front legs to the bowed front seat rail, the front legs of this chair are joined with an open dovetail. Likewise, the rear legs are also joined to the posts in a manner not commonly seen in subsequent forms; the cabinetmaker having chosen a double-beak joint in contrast to the more typically seen single angled splice (see detail). This type of joint is usually seen in sofa construction; its presence here, therefore, implies a cabinetmaker not familiar with the form and conceiving of the object in terms dictated by its upholstery (sofa) rather than its form (chair). This chair is also a rare survivior in the significant amount of period eighteenth century upholstery and stuffing it retains. In addition to its original webbing, sackcloth, hair stuffing and cotton lining, the seat also retains its origianl grass-stuffed edge roll. The chair also demonstrates certain economies of eighteenth century upholstery techniques in its re-used deck stuffing. Remnants of what appear to be eighteenth century upholstery suggest the chair was originally covered in a blue worsted moreen fabric.
A related later and broader example of the form, also from Philadelphia, was sold Sotheby's New York, October 14, 1989, lot 309; an example with vertically scrolled arm supports and rear cabriole legs is in the Bayou Bend Collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (see Warren, Bayou Bend: American Furniture, Paintings and Silver from the Bayou Bend Collection, Houston: The Museum of Fine Arts, 1975, p. 29, fig. 55); Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Late Colonial Period: The Queen Anne and Chippendale Styles, (NY:MMA, 1985) p. 82, fig. 37; Downs, American Furniture: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods (New York, 1952) figs. 75, 78. A Philadelphia wing chair with trifid feet, shell-carved knees, delicately veined lambrequin and cabriole rear legs is illustrated in Sack, The New Fine Points of American Furniture: Early American (NY: Crown, 1993), p. 73 as "Superior."
Micro-analysis shows the woods on this chair to be black walnut, maple and yellow pine.
"The most important man in Philadelphia between the era of William Penn and the age of Benjamin Franklin..." (Shepherd, v), James Logan arrived in America in 1699 as secretary, legal advisor, and representative for William Penn. In addition to this official capacity, in which he remained after Penn's return to England, he also negotiated with the Indians, was a merchant, fur trader, scientist and entrepreneur. The patriarch of one of early eighteenth century Philadelphia's most important families, Logan acquired the land 5½ miles north of Philadelphia for what would become Stenton in 1714. By 1723 ground was broken for the mansion, with the Logan family moving all their persoanl effects from Philadelphia to Stenton in 1730.
While Logan's financial records between the years 1728-1739 have not come to light, records pre-dating and post-dating this time show he purchased furniture and goods from England for his business and American-made goods for his personal property. That Logan chose locally made goods for his home is a significant statement regarding his opinion of the quality of these goods. It seems plausible, though, that he may have kept a breast of current styles through his imports; Logan is known to have imported cabriole legged English furniture as early as 1714. Accordingly, with such fashionable English designs readily available, the earliness with which he incoprorated new European designs into his new home is not surprising. In addition, a relatively early date of manufacture for this easy chair is suggested as these forms were initially used for invalids; a series of falls which rendered Logan almost inambulatory between 1728 and 1733 would provide precisely the need for such a chair.
Logan's 1752 estate inventory shows that much of the furnishings he initially used at Stenton still retained a place of importance in the house despite their outmoded nature by mid-century. The Queen Anne easy chair illustrated here, along with other more expensive walnut furniture, sat in the front parlour or "guest dining room and best reception room" (Shepherd, p. 50). In addition to these more important items in the household, "a quantity of china, 329 oz. plate, 2 cases of knives and forks, brass andirons, chimney furniture, a large looking glass, a scutore, [an easy chair], 10 black leather-bottomed chairs" (Shepherd, p. 52) also attests to the importance of this chamber.
A small group of leather-bottomed side chairs associated with Philadelphia upholsterer Plunkett Fleeson relate to the easy chair illustrated here (see Sewell, et al, Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art (Philadelphia: PMA, 1976, pp. 34-35, fig. 27). With their similarly designed compass seat and lamb's tongue-embellished cabriole front legs, these leather-bottomed chairs and the Logan easy chair form a possible foundation upon which subsequent Philadelphia Queen Anne design and construction may have been based. In addition to their aesthetic relationship,these chairs were also owned by several of Philadelphia's most prominent citizens including Benjamin Shoemaker (1704-1767; Mayor of Philadelphia 1753), Provincial Governor Anthony Palmer and Caspar Wistar. A related cabriole legged backstool owned by James Logan (Hornor, pl. 308) links these sidechairs with his more elaborately upholstered easy chair and strengthens the aesthetic connection between these forms. Fleeson advertised these chairs, probably as a competitor to popularly imported Boston chairs, in the 1730's. With other local cabinetmakers such as Solomon Fussell fabricating "crook'd feet" chairs as early as the late 1720's, a date of 1730-1735 is entirely plausible for the chair illustrated here. Several related chairs with Logan family provenance share the basic aesthetic features of this group of leather bottomed sidechairs, and are illustrated in Hornor, pls. 307, 308 and 310.
Although its slim proportions and verticality suggest the lines of William and Mary design, the overall alternating play of serpentine forms demonstrate a fully developed Queen Anne aesthetic (see detail). In addition, several construction features of the chair distinguish it from later Philadelphia forms, thus also supporting an earlier date of manufacture. In contrast to the more typical round or quarter-round tenon joining the front legs to the bowed front seat rail, the front legs of this chair are joined with an open dovetail. Likewise, the rear legs are also joined to the posts in a manner not commonly seen in subsequent forms; the cabinetmaker having chosen a double-beak joint in contrast to the more typically seen single angled splice (see detail). This type of joint is usually seen in sofa construction; its presence here, therefore, implies a cabinetmaker not familiar with the form and conceiving of the object in terms dictated by its upholstery (sofa) rather than its form (chair). This chair is also a rare survivior in the significant amount of period eighteenth century upholstery and stuffing it retains. In addition to its original webbing, sackcloth, hair stuffing and cotton lining, the seat also retains its origianl grass-stuffed edge roll. The chair also demonstrates certain economies of eighteenth century upholstery techniques in its re-used deck stuffing. Remnants of what appear to be eighteenth century upholstery suggest the chair was originally covered in a blue worsted moreen fabric.
A related later and broader example of the form, also from Philadelphia, was sold Sotheby's New York, October 14, 1989, lot 309; an example with vertically scrolled arm supports and rear cabriole legs is in the Bayou Bend Collection of The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (see Warren, Bayou Bend: American Furniture, Paintings and Silver from the Bayou Bend Collection, Houston: The Museum of Fine Arts, 1975, p. 29, fig. 55); Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Late Colonial Period: The Queen Anne and Chippendale Styles, (NY:MMA, 1985) p. 82, fig. 37; Downs, American Furniture: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods (New York, 1952) figs. 75, 78. A Philadelphia wing chair with trifid feet, shell-carved knees, delicately veined lambrequin and cabriole rear legs is illustrated in Sack, The New Fine Points of American Furniture: Early American (NY: Crown, 1993), p. 73 as "Superior."
Micro-analysis shows the woods on this chair to be black walnut, maple and yellow pine.