Chair thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Chair

1783 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This chair, one of a set of six, is inscribed in ink on the underside of the front seat rail 'Samuel Fairhead August 1783'. He is probably more likely to have been the first owner of the set than the maker. If the date is correct, Samuel Fairhead must have been very much aware of new fashions in furniture design. The square outline of the back was only just coming into fashion in the 1780s, replacing the ovals that had been popular a few years earlier. The first published designs that show this shape are those engraved for . A. Hepplewhite & Co in The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide in 1788. The design of the centre of the back has no precedent in English published designs. It is a sophisticated use of the motif of a classical perfume burner, between two columns.



Object details

Category
Object type
Materials and techniques
Mahogany, carved, with upholstery in red leather
Brief description
One of a set of six chairs, of carved mahogany, upholstered in leather, originally red. The tapering legs rise from spade feet. The back is of square outline, the central area carved and pierced with a design of a classical perfume burner between columns
Physical description
Chair of carved mahogany, upholstered in leather (originally red). The chair is raised on tapering, square-sectioned legs with spade feet. The back is rectangular, with an arched chair rail, a carved and pierced section in the middle forming a splat with a perfume burner between two columns, fronds of a plant issuing from the perfume burner to spread over a tablet section in the centre of the chair rail. The leather upholstery dates from the 19th or early 20th century, when the set of chairs was restored with new corner blocks to strengthen the seat.
Dimensions
  • Height: 89cm
  • Width: 53.5cm
  • Depth: 48.5cm
Measurements converted from departmental catalogues. Not checked on object
Style
Marks and inscriptions
  • S. Fairhead August 1783 (Written in ink on the underside of the front seat rail. This may be the maker's name, but no such name has been traced as a furniture maker. It is more likely that this is the name of the first owner)
  • 'XXXXIV' (four times, once on each side of the seat frame)
Credit line
Bequeathed by Miss Amy E. Tomes
Object history
The Roman numerals chisel-marked into the underside of the seat rails of this set suggest that they came from a set of 48 or more chairs, which is a remarkably large set. Roman numerals such as these were generally used to number the different chairs in a set and are frequently found on 18th-century chairs.

Parts of this set were lent for many years to Provost Skene's House, Aberdeen

See Registered Files 51/1287, 53/2885, 68/1413
Summary
This chair, one of a set of six, is inscribed in ink on the underside of the front seat rail 'Samuel Fairhead August 1783'. He is probably more likely to have been the first owner of the set than the maker. If the date is correct, Samuel Fairhead must have been very much aware of new fashions in furniture design. The square outline of the back was only just coming into fashion in the 1780s, replacing the ovals that had been popular a few years earlier. The first published designs that show this shape are those engraved for . A. Hepplewhite & Co in The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide in 1788. The design of the centre of the back has no precedent in English published designs. It is a sophisticated use of the motif of a classical perfume burner, between two columns.

Associated objects
Bibliographic reference
Tomlin, Maurice, Catalogue of Adam Period Furniture (London: HMSO for the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1972), cat. no. Q/8, p. 139.
Collection
Accession number
W.75-1940

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 30, 2008
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest