ATTRIBUTED TO GILLOWS, CIRCA 1815

One of the most popular forms of the early 19th century, this bergere is based on the 'curricle' chair, after the Roman magistrate or consul's seat, as first illustrated by Thomas Sheraton in The Cabinet Dictionary, London, 1803. The style was then adopted by Gillows of London, who supplied similar caned chairs with sabre legs to Tatton Park, Cheshire, and later reinvented the design in various woods and with alternative ornamentation (S. Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730-1840, 2008, pp. 228-232).