EARLY 16TH CENTURY

Details

AN ENGLISH LINENFOLD PANEL ARMCHAIR
EARLY 16TH CENTURY
THE RECTANGULAR BACK WITH PIERCED FRIEZE DEPICTING HERALDIC FAMILY DEVICES ABOVE A PAIR OF LINENFOLD PANELS, THE ARMS RAISED ON CARVED SUPPORTS AND WITH GUILLOCHE FRIEZES, STRUCK 'IT' twice to the rear, alterations
44½in. (1113cm.) high, 24in. (61cm.) wide, the seat 15½in. (39cm.) deep
See Illustration

Literature

A related chair but with a portrait medallion back was sold Sotheby's Billingshurst, 19 June 2001, lot 1265.
Another bears the arms of Sir Rhys ap Thomas (illustrated Victor Chinnery Oak Furniture, The British Tradition, Woodbridge 1979, page 245 fig 3.28).

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis. This lot is subject to storage and collection charges. **For Furniture and Decorative Objects, storage charges commence 7 days from sale. Please contact department for further details.**

Further details

END OF SALE The next sale of Oak, Country Furniture, Folk Art, Works of Art and Sculpture will take place on 12th July 2005. Deadline for entries is 10th May 2005

Lot Essay

The College of Arms, London, has identified the three elements on the shields in the back of the chair as saying Ironton in the Rebus language of sub-heraldry. Ironton is a rare surname known in 17th century Buckinghamshire. Since Irontons never established any heraldry, they must be placed at best in the class of prosperous yeomanry rather than gentry. Such families were compelled to use the sub-heraldic language of the 'Rebus' by which they could render their surname with a mixture of pictorial means and letters of the alphabet.

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