ATTRIBUTED TO JOHN COBB, CIRCA 1775

These chairs belong to a group traditionally associated with John Cobb (d.1778) of St. Martin's Lane, 'upholsterer' to George III from 1761 in partnership with William Vile (d.1767). Related furniture, including a set of six mahogany chairs, was supplied at this period to Philip Yorke for Erddig, Denbighshire (J. Cragg, 'Room for improvement, the re-arrangement of room furnishings at Erddig', Apollo, April 2002, p. 38, fig. 4). Payments to John Cobb were made by Philip Yorke I in 1770 (Erddig, Guide Book, 1978, p. g).
A pair of armchairs of virtually identical design was sold from The Prescott Collection, Christie's, New York, 31 January 1981, lot 323. One of the armchairs, from what is quoted to be a set of eight, is illustrated in D. Nickerson, English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century, London, 1963, p. 80, fig, 83. A set of six side chairs of the same pattern was sold anonymously Christie’s, New York, 18 October 2005, lot 422 ($78,000 including premium). More recently, a single giltwood armchair of similar pattern was sold anonymously Christie’s, London, 31 October 2012, lot 4 (£3,250 including premium).