Sedan Chair thumbnail 1
Sedan Chair thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
Not currently on display at the V&A
On display at Maidstone Museum, Kent

This object consists of 2 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

Sedan Chair

1740-1760 (made)
Place of origin
Italy

On loan to Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages.


Object details

Category
Transport
Object type
Sedan chair
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Sedan Chair
  • Footstool
Brief description
Painted and gilded sedan chair. Crowned with carved and gilded figures, foliage and doves.
Physical description
Painted panels, ornamented and crowned with wood carvings of foliage, doves etc; with poles, straps, and other fittings.

The interior is lined with brocaded silk, with 21" seams in the back panel. Tufted seat squab with different later brocade. Hanging straps, window-lifting straps and trimming around the edge of the rood all in brocaded braid about 3" wide. Window frames covered inside and out with a different floral brocade (later) Ceiling painted with oval panel with doves and angels holding a cross; spandrels with trompe l'oeil scrolls. On the top is an elaborate corona of carved wood, metal and composition, all gilded. Four female figures, one with a pillar, one with a spindle, two of the figures hooded. Between them is wreathed a banner with an insciption in Latin. The cresting around the top of the body is set centrally on each side with an oval oil painting. These seem to ilustrate the Four Last Things (Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell).

Dimensions
  • Height: 252.7cm
  • Length: 121.9cm
  • Width: 96.5cm
Object history
Acquired via William Blundell Spence in Florence
Historical context
Used at the baptisms for the Grand-Ducal family of Tuscany.
Summary
On loan to Tyrwhitt-Drake Museum of Carriages.
Bibliographic reference
John Fleming, Art Dealing in the Risorgimento, II The Burlington Magazine, Vol. CXXI [August 1979]; and III, Vol. CXXI [Sept. 1979], p.568-580. See part III, n.41
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
10:1 to :2-1864

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Record createdFebruary 20, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O132056/sedan-chair/
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