拍品专文
When Thomas Affleck arrived in Philadelphia from London in 1763, he was welcomed by Joshua Fisher and his sons. Thomas Fisher had already written to his father from London that year recommending the character of this Scottish-born cabinetmaker. He wrote:
"Honour'd Father... The bear Thos Affleck intended to settle in Philadelphia, & knowing the satisfaction of being introduced to some acquaintance there shall I just say he is a friend of David Barclay and a person from whose character I have reason to esteem. Our friends the Barclays as well as several others & myself in particular will take it kind thou will render him thy world civility & any advice & assistance that may be necessary..." Historical Society of Pennsylvania, William Logan Fox Papers, Thomas Fisher, Diary, 1763, p.171 as cited in Philadelphia: Three Centuries of Philadelphia Furniture (Philadelphia, 1976, p.98)
This chair is one of a set of six chairs thought to have been made by Affleck for Sarah Logan Fisher. Her marriage in 1772 may have been the cause for which her father, William Logan, commissioned furniture from Affleck which totaled 72.15.00, 50 of which was paid to the immigrant carver, James Reynolds. An entry in Logan's cashbook at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania records this payment. It is possible that the transaction documented by Logan may refer in part to these chairs.
With its superbly carved splat and knees coupled with aspects of local craft practices and use of indigenous woods, this chair is fashioned in the quintessential Philadelphia rococo style. Singling out this particular design in his Blue Book, W.M. Hornor writes: "..the unusual side-chair in which the top-rail divides and gracefully falls over a splat suggestive of the Gothic, and pendant foliage with a bell at the base contribute to the excellent result" (Washington, D.C., 1935, p.15).
The design of the splat, with continuous strapwork scrolls is closely modeled on plate X of Thomas Chippendale's Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director of 1762. While many Philadelphia craftsmen adopted design motifs from the Director for their clients, it is a rare phenomenon to find a chair whose back design is nearly identical to one of the plates. With the back of this chair reflecting the English influence, the unadorned seat rails, arched front edge, and combination of front ball-and-claw feet with rear stump legs, are features particular to the Philadelphia region.
The carver of this chair and others in the set has not been identified. Thomas Affleck hired several proficient immigrant-carvers such as James Reynolds, the carver of the Deschler chair (sold in these rooms, October 18, 1986, lot 512), the carver of the Hollingsworth High Chest and Dressing Table (see lot 501), and the carver of the Thompson chair (sold in these rooms, January 24, 1987, lot 285).
Of the other five chairs thought to be a part of this set, three are in institutions and two are in a private collections; one marked "I" is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (illustrated in Hornor, pl.115): a second marked "II," is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, (illustrated in Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, 1985), p. 99, fig.53): a third marked "III," is in a Philadelphia private collection (see Heckscher, p.99): a fourth marked "VI" this at Winterthur (illustrated in Hummel, A Winterthur Guide to American Chippendale Furniture (Winterthur, 1976), p. 75, fig. 69. The present chair is marked "VI" on the inside of the front seat rail and has descended in the family of the original owner.
This chair is only one of the known works in the fully-evolved rococo style that the Fisher/Logan families commissioned from Affleck. Affleck's bond with Joshua Fisher and his sons continued through the beginning of the Revolution when, in 1777 they were all "exiled" to Virginia for their Quaker and Loyalist Sympathies.
"Honour'd Father... The bear Thos Affleck intended to settle in Philadelphia, & knowing the satisfaction of being introduced to some acquaintance there shall I just say he is a friend of David Barclay and a person from whose character I have reason to esteem. Our friends the Barclays as well as several others & myself in particular will take it kind thou will render him thy world civility & any advice & assistance that may be necessary..." Historical Society of Pennsylvania, William Logan Fox Papers, Thomas Fisher, Diary, 1763, p.171 as cited in Philadelphia: Three Centuries of Philadelphia Furniture (Philadelphia, 1976, p.98)
This chair is one of a set of six chairs thought to have been made by Affleck for Sarah Logan Fisher. Her marriage in 1772 may have been the cause for which her father, William Logan, commissioned furniture from Affleck which totaled 72.15.00, 50 of which was paid to the immigrant carver, James Reynolds. An entry in Logan's cashbook at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania records this payment. It is possible that the transaction documented by Logan may refer in part to these chairs.
With its superbly carved splat and knees coupled with aspects of local craft practices and use of indigenous woods, this chair is fashioned in the quintessential Philadelphia rococo style. Singling out this particular design in his Blue Book, W.M. Hornor writes: "..the unusual side-chair in which the top-rail divides and gracefully falls over a splat suggestive of the Gothic, and pendant foliage with a bell at the base contribute to the excellent result" (Washington, D.C., 1935, p.15).
The design of the splat, with continuous strapwork scrolls is closely modeled on plate X of Thomas Chippendale's Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker's Director of 1762. While many Philadelphia craftsmen adopted design motifs from the Director for their clients, it is a rare phenomenon to find a chair whose back design is nearly identical to one of the plates. With the back of this chair reflecting the English influence, the unadorned seat rails, arched front edge, and combination of front ball-and-claw feet with rear stump legs, are features particular to the Philadelphia region.
The carver of this chair and others in the set has not been identified. Thomas Affleck hired several proficient immigrant-carvers such as James Reynolds, the carver of the Deschler chair (sold in these rooms, October 18, 1986, lot 512), the carver of the Hollingsworth High Chest and Dressing Table (see lot 501), and the carver of the Thompson chair (sold in these rooms, January 24, 1987, lot 285).
Of the other five chairs thought to be a part of this set, three are in institutions and two are in a private collections; one marked "I" is in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (illustrated in Hornor, pl.115): a second marked "II," is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, (illustrated in Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, 1985), p. 99, fig.53): a third marked "III," is in a Philadelphia private collection (see Heckscher, p.99): a fourth marked "VI" this at Winterthur (illustrated in Hummel, A Winterthur Guide to American Chippendale Furniture (Winterthur, 1976), p. 75, fig. 69. The present chair is marked "VI" on the inside of the front seat rail and has descended in the family of the original owner.
This chair is only one of the known works in the fully-evolved rococo style that the Fisher/Logan families commissioned from Affleck. Affleck's bond with Joshua Fisher and his sons continued through the beginning of the Revolution when, in 1777 they were all "exiled" to Virginia for their Quaker and Loyalist Sympathies.