Chair
1680-1720 (made)
| Place of origin |
After about 1650 relatively lightweight but stout chairs became more common in English households, and were starting to replace stools for dining in affluent homes. This chair would have been used with a separate seat cushion on the solid seat. The carved, arched back-pieces, board seat and single, turned front stretcher are distinctive features found on many chairs linked to south Yorkshire. They were probably influenced by high-backed, caned chairs with arched crests, made in London. Several workshops must have produced large quantities, to judge by the numbers of such chairs that have survived.
The chair has been heavily restored. It came to the Museum in 1898 from the collection of Charles H. Marshall of East Retford, a notable collector of British furniture.
On long loan to Turton Tower, Bolton.
The chair has been heavily restored. It came to the Museum in 1898 from the collection of Charles H. Marshall of East Retford, a notable collector of British furniture.
On long loan to Turton Tower, Bolton.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Oak chair with open back containing two arched, carved rails, and turned front legs and stretcher. |
| Physical description | Oak chair with open back containing two arched, carved rails, with turned front legs and stretcher. The chair is constructed using joined and pegged oak, with full-height back uprights, carved at the top with outward facing scroll finials. The crest-rail and mid-rail match. They are arched and carved in outline with scrolls above and below, with three turned pendant finails. Both rails are chip-carved on their front face with a pattern of S-scrolls. Applied to the front face of each back upright is a split-turned 'rod' with turnings at the top and bottom. (The presence of wooden pegs into the outer sides of the back uprights above the seat may reflect repairs rather than the method of fixing these applied ornaments.) The front legs and mid-height, front stretcher are turned, with square blocks at the joints. The top of each front leg is carved with a shallow roundel finial. The side stretchers (two on each side) and back stretcher are rectangular and plain. The four seat rails have a simple, scratch moulding. The sunk seat consists of two boards resting on rebates in the rails, held below a nailed batten along the back rail. Modifications Board seat replaced. Bottom 15cm of both back legs replaced. Side stretchers possibly replaced. Turned knobs replaced. The front and side seat rails possibly replaced. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought for £5 from Charles H. Marshall, The Avenue, East Retford RF 86073/1898 |
| Summary | After about 1650 relatively lightweight but stout chairs became more common in English households, and were starting to replace stools for dining in affluent homes. This chair would have been used with a separate seat cushion on the solid seat. The carved, arched back-pieces, board seat and single, turned front stretcher are distinctive features found on many chairs linked to south Yorkshire. They were probably influenced by high-backed, caned chairs with arched crests, made in London. Several workshops must have produced large quantities, to judge by the numbers of such chairs that have survived. The chair has been heavily restored. It came to the Museum in 1898 from the collection of Charles H. Marshall of East Retford, a notable collector of British furniture. On long loan to Turton Tower, Bolton. |
| Bibliographic reference | H. Clifford Smith, Catalogue of English Furniture & Woodwork
(London 1930), cat. 521.
Chair; the back consists of two hooped and scalloped cross rails carved with scrolls and ornamented with three turned drops; the uprights have scroll finials and applied half balusters. The front legs and rail are turned, the side rails and that at the back are plain. The seat is sunk for a cushion.
Yorkshire or Derbyshire. Middle of 17th century.
from catalogue: H. 2 ft. 1 ½ in., W. 1 ft. 6 in., D. 1 ft. 3 in. (H. 64.8 cm, W. 45.7 cm, D. 38.1 cm) |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 228-1898 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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