Chair
ca. 1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
A varnished walnut chair with caned seat and two caned panels in the back, which curves backwards in ‘bended back’ form, the central splat with feather banding.
The two front legs are square section and carved as a shallow cabriole. The ‘H’ stretcher and higher back stretcher are turned, with rectangular sections at some joints. The back legs, which are continuous with the uprights are plain turned with rectangular sections at joints. Above the seat, the uprights are rectangular sectioned, as is the shallow lower rail. The front faces are moulded. The top rail is shaped, rising to a central section, which scrolls backwards and is pierced with a central hole, its front face continues the moulding of the uprights, following the shape of the top rail with flat cornered foliage below the piercing. The central splat is plain inlaid with a stepped arch in feather banding in a lighter wood.
The front seat rail is shaped on the lower edge with stepped arches and is outlined with incised moulding. The side rails (both replaced) are similar, but simply with a raised central section to the lower edge. The seat is framed separately and the back rail of the seat is supported by the back rail of the chair. The front feet are raised on recessed pads. One is cut away and the other added.
Construction:
The stretchers are tenoned into the back legs and pegged. At the front, the stretchers are dowelled but were originally tenoned. The replaced side rails are screwed up into the seat with 3 machine made screws each. 2 machine screws have been added to fix the front rail in the same way and there is a central nail, which may be original.
The back uprights are tenoned up into the crest rail. The lower rail is tenoned between the uprights and the splat is tenoned between the top and the bottom rail.
Condition:
Replaced side seat rails and seat with some damage at joints with original frame.
Small loss to one collar of the cross stretcher.
Seat re-caned and possibly part of back too.
Side rails of main frame replaced. Caned seat frame (except back rail?) extremely new, and canted towards the front more than the lower rails. Lower side rails screwed up to caned frame (3 screws in each side).
Two small screw-holes on the inside face of each of the front and side rails of the caned frame - what for? - caned seat (front and side rails) perhaps comes, as a seat, from another chair, hence the mismatch in shape. The screw-holes inside the three rails could relate to its earlier use - possibly for screw-threaded pins to secure a loose cover by. The turned back stretcher also looks replaced - stretcher joints ?all rejoined. The front legs are now screwed to the side stretchers from the front.
Ghost of a label on back of splat, near the bottom.
Cushion
Acquired with a separate squab cushion of trapezoidal form, the cover depicting a vase of flowers, worked in half stitch (a variant of cross stitch) on canvas, possibly early 18th century. Bouquets in vases were among the most frequently chosen motifs for chair / armchair covers (and for fire screens) at this period, while honeysuckle suggests an English origin.
The two front legs are square section and carved as a shallow cabriole. The ‘H’ stretcher and higher back stretcher are turned, with rectangular sections at some joints. The back legs, which are continuous with the uprights are plain turned with rectangular sections at joints. Above the seat, the uprights are rectangular sectioned, as is the shallow lower rail. The front faces are moulded. The top rail is shaped, rising to a central section, which scrolls backwards and is pierced with a central hole, its front face continues the moulding of the uprights, following the shape of the top rail with flat cornered foliage below the piercing. The central splat is plain inlaid with a stepped arch in feather banding in a lighter wood.
The front seat rail is shaped on the lower edge with stepped arches and is outlined with incised moulding. The side rails (both replaced) are similar, but simply with a raised central section to the lower edge. The seat is framed separately and the back rail of the seat is supported by the back rail of the chair. The front feet are raised on recessed pads. One is cut away and the other added.
Construction:
The stretchers are tenoned into the back legs and pegged. At the front, the stretchers are dowelled but were originally tenoned. The replaced side rails are screwed up into the seat with 3 machine made screws each. 2 machine screws have been added to fix the front rail in the same way and there is a central nail, which may be original.
The back uprights are tenoned up into the crest rail. The lower rail is tenoned between the uprights and the splat is tenoned between the top and the bottom rail.
Condition:
Replaced side seat rails and seat with some damage at joints with original frame.
Small loss to one collar of the cross stretcher.
Seat re-caned and possibly part of back too.
Side rails of main frame replaced. Caned seat frame (except back rail?) extremely new, and canted towards the front more than the lower rails. Lower side rails screwed up to caned frame (3 screws in each side).
Two small screw-holes on the inside face of each of the front and side rails of the caned frame - what for? - caned seat (front and side rails) perhaps comes, as a seat, from another chair, hence the mismatch in shape. The screw-holes inside the three rails could relate to its earlier use - possibly for screw-threaded pins to secure a loose cover by. The turned back stretcher also looks replaced - stretcher joints ?all rejoined. The front legs are now screwed to the side stretchers from the front.
Ghost of a label on back of splat, near the bottom.
Cushion
Acquired with a separate squab cushion of trapezoidal form, the cover depicting a vase of flowers, worked in half stitch (a variant of cross stitch) on canvas, possibly early 18th century. Bouquets in vases were among the most frequently chosen motifs for chair / armchair covers (and for fire screens) at this period, while honeysuckle suggests an English origin.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Walnut with caning |
| Brief description | Chair, English, c.1700, walnut , caned seat and back |
| Physical description | A varnished walnut chair with caned seat and two caned panels in the back, which curves backwards in ‘bended back’ form, the central splat with feather banding. The two front legs are square section and carved as a shallow cabriole. The ‘H’ stretcher and higher back stretcher are turned, with rectangular sections at some joints. The back legs, which are continuous with the uprights are plain turned with rectangular sections at joints. Above the seat, the uprights are rectangular sectioned, as is the shallow lower rail. The front faces are moulded. The top rail is shaped, rising to a central section, which scrolls backwards and is pierced with a central hole, its front face continues the moulding of the uprights, following the shape of the top rail with flat cornered foliage below the piercing. The central splat is plain inlaid with a stepped arch in feather banding in a lighter wood. The front seat rail is shaped on the lower edge with stepped arches and is outlined with incised moulding. The side rails (both replaced) are similar, but simply with a raised central section to the lower edge. The seat is framed separately and the back rail of the seat is supported by the back rail of the chair. The front feet are raised on recessed pads. One is cut away and the other added. Construction: The stretchers are tenoned into the back legs and pegged. At the front, the stretchers are dowelled but were originally tenoned. The replaced side rails are screwed up into the seat with 3 machine made screws each. 2 machine screws have been added to fix the front rail in the same way and there is a central nail, which may be original. The back uprights are tenoned up into the crest rail. The lower rail is tenoned between the uprights and the splat is tenoned between the top and the bottom rail. Condition: Replaced side seat rails and seat with some damage at joints with original frame. Small loss to one collar of the cross stretcher. Seat re-caned and possibly part of back too. Side rails of main frame replaced. Caned seat frame (except back rail?) extremely new, and canted towards the front more than the lower rails. Lower side rails screwed up to caned frame (3 screws in each side). Two small screw-holes on the inside face of each of the front and side rails of the caned frame - what for? - caned seat (front and side rails) perhaps comes, as a seat, from another chair, hence the mismatch in shape. The screw-holes inside the three rails could relate to its earlier use - possibly for screw-threaded pins to secure a loose cover by. The turned back stretcher also looks replaced - stretcher joints ?all rejoined. The front legs are now screwed to the side stretchers from the front. Ghost of a label on back of splat, near the bottom. Cushion Acquired with a separate squab cushion of trapezoidal form, the cover depicting a vase of flowers, worked in half stitch (a variant of cross stitch) on canvas, possibly early 18th century. Bouquets in vases were among the most frequently chosen motifs for chair / armchair covers (and for fire screens) at this period, while honeysuckle suggests an English origin. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Dods |
| Object history | On loan to Aberdeen 1953-1960 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.18-1953 |
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| Record created | January 17, 2005 |
| Record URL |
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