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Hall Chair

1700-1725 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Plain backs with parallel sides: straight tops indented at the corners in the characteristic early 18th century manner. Two tapered bracing-uprights rise from the back rail to support the lower part of the back. Plain solid seats with slight indentations at the front corners. No angle-blocks or struts underneath. Plain rails curve down at each end to simple cabriole legs of square section, spatulate feet.
Japanned in a very dark brown (perhaps intended for black and now touched up with black in many places), with gold lines along all the 'visible' edges. The seat and back have an additional band of formal ornament painted in gold inset from the edges. The back and seat of these chairs are decorated with Chinese lacquer and the mantling of the coat of arms is also in the Chinese style. Below the shield of arms is a lotus flower. In their present condition the original arms appear to have been painted over in England, presumably on the occasion of the wedding in 1759 (see below).

Arms painted on the back: Perchevron sable and argent, in chief three mullets or, and in base three garbs gules: the crest, an elephant armed gules. For the Hawkins family of Bignor Park, Sussex. Herbert Pakington married Elizabeth, sister of Sir Caeser Hawkins, 1st Bart. in 1759. The other chair represents the Pakington arms which had also been altered for the wedding.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Hall Chair. English, 1700-25, japanned, armorials.
Physical description
Plain backs with parallel sides: straight tops indented at the corners in the characteristic early 18th century manner. Two tapered bracing-uprights rise from the back rail to support the lower part of the back. Plain solid seats with slight indentations at the front corners. No angle-blocks or struts underneath. Plain rails curve down at each end to simple cabriole legs of square section, spatulate feet.
Japanned in a very dark brown (perhaps intended for black and now touched up with black in many places), with gold lines along all the 'visible' edges. The seat and back have an additional band of formal ornament painted in gold inset from the edges. The back and seat of these chairs are decorated with Chinese lacquer and the mantling of the coat of arms is also in the Chinese style. Below the shield of arms is a lotus flower. In their present condition the original arms appear to have been painted over in England, presumably on the occasion of the wedding in 1759 (see below).

Arms painted on the back: Perchevron sable and argent, in chief three mullets or, and in base three garbs gules: the crest, an elephant armed gules. For the Hawkins family of Bignor Park, Sussex. Herbert Pakington married Elizabeth, sister of Sir Caeser Hawkins, 1st Bart. in 1759. The other chair represents the Pakington arms which had also been altered for the wedding.
Dimensions
  • Height: 116cm
  • Width: 50.0cm
  • Depth: 57.0cm
Gallery label
HALL CHAIR ENGLISH; about 1715 The back and seat of Chinese lacquer The arms which were added later, commemorate the marriage in 1759 between Herbert Pakington and Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Caesar Hawkins. Given by Brigadier W.E. Clark, C.M.G., D.S.O., through the National Art-Collections Fund.(pre October 2000)
Credit line
Given by Brigadier W. E. Clark CMG, DSO through Art Fund
Object history
Given by Brigadier W.E. Clark DSO, through The Art Fund (Registered File 62/2520).

This chair was on long-term loan to Nunnington Hall (National Trust), North Yorkshire, 1979-2015.
Bibliographic reference
Pair of lacquered chairs very similar to these belong to Lt. Col. G. R. Heathcote (see paper catalogue for photographs). Similar chairs sold at: Christie's 19/06/1980, Lot. 24: 'An important set of eight George I black and gold lacquer chairs'. Houghton Sale at Christie's 8/12/1994, Lot 110: 'A pair of George I gilt-gesso and Chinese black and gold lacquer hall chairs'.
Collection
Accession number
W.16A-1962

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Record createdFebruary 16, 2001
Record URL
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