ATTRIBUTED TO MAYHEW AND INCE, CIRCA 1770

This pair of drawing-room chairs, with their medallion backs and antique fluted rails and legs can be attributed to the Golden Square firm of John Mayhew and William Ince who were in partnership from 1758/59 until 1804. Closely related chairs with attributions to Mayhew and Ince include the seat furniture supplied to Richard Myddleton for Chirk Castle, Denbighshire, Wales, who was in correspondence with Ince between October 1782 and September 1783. A pair was sold by The Myddelton Family, Chirk Castle, Wrexham, Wales; Christie's house sale, 21 June 2004, lot 50 and a single chair en suite, lot 51. Other comparable suites of seat furniture by Mayhew and Ince include at least two suites of similar inspiration supplied for the 3rd Earl of Darnley, for Cobham Hall, Kent. Lord Darnley was most enduring client of the firm's with payments totalling just under £4,000 from 1760 until his death in 1781. His son, the 4th Earl continued this association and spent just over £3,600 before 1803.

Another, closely related suite of seat furniture, comprising eight armchairs and a pair of sofas, was sold anonymously, Christie's, London, 12 November 1999, lots 84-88 (sold as four pairs of armchairs and a pair of sofas). The latter's attribution was based on the strong stylistic idiosyncrasies shared with other chairs from this workshop. Among such characteristics are the scrolled arms descending directly into the tops of the legs, the profile of the fluted legs with ring-turned and or reeded collars.