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拍品专文
The overall form and decoration of these unusual chairs, notably their cartouche-shaped backs and delicate foliate-carved cresting, reveals the influence of French menuisiers or chair-makers on English furniture in the latter part of the 18th century.
While it is conceivable that the chairs were made by an emigré chair-maker working in England (a supposition reinforced by the pegged construction), two designs by Matthias Lock, dated to circa 1770, each show separate elements found on these chairs. The first shows a similarly shaped, spirally-turned leaf-headed tapering leg. The second drawing shows a chair with a similarly designed arm support, displaying a slightly exaggerated terminal of an almost shepherd's crook outline, again with leaf-carved and spiral decoration. These drawings, currently in the George Lock Collection (Lock Album) nos. 2848.148 and 2848.145 respectively, are reproduced in P. Ward-Jackson, English Furniture Designs of the Eighteenth Century, London, 1958, fig.252 and 253.
Although a connection has never been proved between Matthias Lock and Thomas Chippendale, it is certainly true that the two gentleman, together largely responsible for promoting the rococo style in England, were well acquainted. More than likely that Lock was employed by Chippendale on occasion for his services as a carver. There has been some discussion as to whether Lock was responsible in part for some of the designs in the Director, as discussed in C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, New York, 1978, p.103-104. Certainly the cartouche-form back with subtle floral spray recalls designs for 'French' chairs in the Director. The impressive scale and shape is not dissimilar to seat-furniture supplied by the Chippendale firm, such as the suite delivered circa 1771-1772 to Saltram House (C. Gilbert, op.cit, vol.II, p. 110, fig. 188).
A pair of armchairs almost certainly originally forming part of this same suite is now in the collection of Mr. amd Mrs. Oscar de la Renta, New York (illustrated in situ in C. Rayner and R. Schezen, New York Trends and Traditions, New York, 1997). A further pair of armchairs, identical except for the fact that they have a guilloche-carved seat-rail, was sold from the collection of Mrs. John E. Rovensky, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 15-19 January 1957, lot 981.
While it is conceivable that the chairs were made by an emigré chair-maker working in England (a supposition reinforced by the pegged construction), two designs by Matthias Lock, dated to circa 1770, each show separate elements found on these chairs. The first shows a similarly shaped, spirally-turned leaf-headed tapering leg. The second drawing shows a chair with a similarly designed arm support, displaying a slightly exaggerated terminal of an almost shepherd's crook outline, again with leaf-carved and spiral decoration. These drawings, currently in the George Lock Collection (Lock Album) nos. 2848.148 and 2848.145 respectively, are reproduced in P. Ward-Jackson, English Furniture Designs of the Eighteenth Century, London, 1958, fig.252 and 253.
Although a connection has never been proved between Matthias Lock and Thomas Chippendale, it is certainly true that the two gentleman, together largely responsible for promoting the rococo style in England, were well acquainted. More than likely that Lock was employed by Chippendale on occasion for his services as a carver. There has been some discussion as to whether Lock was responsible in part for some of the designs in the Director, as discussed in C. Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, New York, 1978, p.103-104. Certainly the cartouche-form back with subtle floral spray recalls designs for 'French' chairs in the Director. The impressive scale and shape is not dissimilar to seat-furniture supplied by the Chippendale firm, such as the suite delivered circa 1771-1772 to Saltram House (C. Gilbert, op.cit, vol.II, p. 110, fig. 188).
A pair of armchairs almost certainly originally forming part of this same suite is now in the collection of Mr. amd Mrs. Oscar de la Renta, New York (illustrated in situ in C. Rayner and R. Schezen, New York Trends and Traditions, New York, 1997). A further pair of armchairs, identical except for the fact that they have a guilloche-carved seat-rail, was sold from the collection of Mrs. John E. Rovensky, Parke-Bernet Galleries, New York, 15-19 January 1957, lot 981.