A tall backed chair with cabriole front legs, the frame ebonised with gilt mouldings. The seat and back, with shaped top rail, is upholstered in yellow silk damask, which is not original.

The legs, uprights and stretchers are in beech; the seat rails are in oak. The front legs are of square-section cabriole form with a waisted block to support the seat. The show-faces of the front legs have a raised, rounded moulding, now gold painted, between which the profile of the show faces of the leg are slightly convex.

The stretchers are in ‘H’ form, ‘S’ shaped towards the front then continuing straight towards the back legs, narrowing slightly, with an enlarged section just before the joint with the back feet. The cross stretcher is curved in plan with central turned section with 2 trumpet-shaped sections either side of a flattened ball. The top face of the stretcher is flat but has been cut in to create a rounded edge moulding, similar but not identical to those on the front legs.

The square-section back legs are very heavily raked, with plain turned central section, joined by a turned back stretcher, which is set higher than the ‘H’ stretcher. The higher back stretcher has a peg form at either end and swells towards the centre.

The seat is over-upholstered and shaped with a shallow, plain arch on the front side. The back seat rail is straight with the lower edge and level with the top of the arches.

The upholstered back is raised above the seat by 2 short, visible sections of the uprights, of which the show faces are incised to create a rectangular panel, outlined with a rounded moulding, gilt on the outer edges. The lower edge of the bottom back rail is shaped, curving down on each side to a central, lower, flat section. The sides of the back are straight, rising to a shaped cresting, which is incorporated into the upholstery. The outer edges curve inwards to a backward, scrolling, flat centre.

The back is lined in a coarse, yellow linen. It shows a pattern of symmetrical scrolls and flowers and a Chinese canopy, which may all have been applied by heated roller or stamped. The edges of the seat and back show spaced brass nailing over a narrow linen and silk braid.

Construction:
The front legs are tenoned up into the front seat rail, which is 3.8 cm thick, as are the side and back rails. The legs are continuous with the uprights of the back. The ‘H’ stretcher is made in 3 pieces and is tenoned into the front and back legs, the separate back stretcher is tenoned between the back legs.

The seat is enclosed in upholstery, so some of the following is conjecture, though the shape and joints of the construction can be felt through the textile.

The side seat rails are tenoned between the front seat rail and the back legs. The back seat rail is tenoned between the back legs. The seat frame is strengthened with triangular corner blocks, each fixed with 2 screws.

The lower back rail is 7cm deep at its centre and is tenoned between the uprights, which in turn are tenoned up into the shaped cresting rail, which is approximately 15cm at its deepest. The lower edge is cut in a double curve, rising at the centre to a point, approximately 12.5 cm below the top.

Upholstery:
The seat and back have been re-upholstered, probably in the early 20th century. The webbing is 5cm wide with a central, narrow, green stripe flanked by narrow red stripes. The base cloth is of jute, with horsehair above. The front edges of the seat are worn so that a larger amount of cotton wadding is visible. This indicates late 19th or early 20th century work. The silk damask itself is probably late 19th or early 20th century.

Condition:
proper left stretcher has cracked and has been repaired. Proper right front stretcher has a small replaced area.