Chair, ca. 1870, English, possibly made by Cottier and Company, ebonised wood with gilded decoration

Wooden chair in the style of the Aesthetic movement with rectangular back with slightly curved turned uprights, centering inset spindles, rectangular seat above molded seat rail, raised on open supports with incised motifs, the front legs resembling flared animal legs ending in stylized hoofed feet.

This chair is one of a pair, the other being acquired by Pollok House, Glasgow. There are other examples of the chair which have different details of design and decoration. One is in the Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool (WAG.1994.52), another was sold by the Country Seat and is now apparently in an American museum and the last chair, which has swan head finials to the back, is in a private collection in Australia.
The design was formerly attributed to J. Moyr Smith but an article, Cottier and Company, Art Furniture Makers by Max Donnelly, published in Antiques Vol. CLIX, June 2001, pp. 916-925, pl. XIV, illustrated an armchair with very similar decoration and front legs, suggesting that Cottier was responsible for the design.

W.89-1982