Chair
1680-1720 (made)
| Place of origin |
By about 1650 relatively lightweight but stout chairs were becoming more common in English households, and were starting to replace stools for dining in more affluent homes. The design of this chair with turned frame emulates high-backed chairs with caned seats and backs, and some carved decoration, which were made from about 1680 in very large numbers. However, the lack of caning and its relatively low height suggest that it was made outside London where production of such chairs was highly organised.
This object is on loan to Sewerby Hall.
This object is on loan to Sewerby Hall.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Side chair with turned frame and slat back and solid board seat |
| Physical description | Plain (or side) chair of oak(?) with slightly raked back, turned frame and H-form stretcher, with a trapezoidal seat. The open back consists of turned uprights with vase finials, a pierced cresting carved with C-scrolls, and a triangular ‘gable’, and a plain bottom rail between which are four vertical battens: two moulded wider battens with moulded fronts, which flank two narrow, plain rectangular battens. With a plain rear stretcher, and mid-height, turned front stretcher. The four seat rails with ogee moulding on their upper, inner edges, containing a plain oak board seat. Construction Pegged mortise and tenon joints throughout. The cresting tenoned into the back uprights. The seat consists of one oak board, grained side to side, the edges held in grooves cut in the rails. Modifications Considerable worm (common furniture beetle) damage, notably on the feet. With a dark stain overall. The seat board probably replaced. |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | By about 1650 relatively lightweight but stout chairs were becoming more common in English households, and were starting to replace stools for dining in more affluent homes. The design of this chair with turned frame emulates high-backed chairs with caned seats and backs, and some carved decoration, which were made from about 1680 in very large numbers. However, the lack of caning and its relatively low height suggest that it was made outside London where production of such chairs was highly organised. This object is on loan to Sewerby Hall. |
| Bibliographic reference | H. Clifford Smith, Catalogue of English Furniture & Woodwork (London 1930), cat. 524.
Chair; the open rail back has a pediment-shaped top rail pierced and carved with scrolls, and a plain lower rail, between which are four vertical rails; The uprights of the back are baluster-shaped and surmounted by knobs; the front legs and the front and side stretchers and the stretcher which unites them are turned, that at the back is plan. The seat is sunk for a cushion.
Yorkshire or Derbyshire. Middle of the 17th century.
H. 3 ft. 4 in., W. 1 ft 6 in., D. 1 ft. 3 in. (H. 101.6 cm, W. 45.7 cm, D. 38.1 cm |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 239-1898 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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