Chair
1580-1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Italian chairs made from vase-shaped boards of wood have long been known as sgabelli, ultimately derived from the word scabellum (Latin for ‘stool’). They were often carved with fantastic monsters and grotesques, like this example, which belonged to Jules Soulages (1803–1856), a lawyer from Toulouse. His collection was exhibited at Marlborough House between December 1856 and January 1857, and subsequently bought piecemeal by this museum. Many pieces were heavily restored or made up of partly old pieces, like this example.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Carved walnut, partly gilt |
| Brief description | Carved wood chair, Venice, 16th century. |
| Physical description | Carved walnut wood chair, partly gilt. The front support of strapwork with a mask in the centre, the back of foliated ornament, flanked by two terminal figures. |
| Dimensions |
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| Production type | Limited edition |
| Gallery label |
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| Object history | Bought (Soulages collection) £15 |
| Historical context | Comparable chairs A carved and partly gilded walnut sgabello chair (one of a set of four) with arms of Massimo (110 x 35 x 42cm) with similar scrolling leaf panels to the back is published as Roman 1550-1600 in Ed. GONZALEZ-PALACIOS, Alvar: Fasto Romano - dipinti, sculture, arredi dai Palzzi di Roma. (Rome, Palazzo Sacchetti, 1991), no. 64. The entry notes Tuscan influence in the design. |
| Summary | Italian chairs made from vase-shaped boards of wood have long been known as sgabelli, ultimately derived from the word scabellum (Latin for ‘stool’). They were often carved with fantastic monsters and grotesques, like this example, which belonged to Jules Soulages (1803–1856), a lawyer from Toulouse. His collection was exhibited at Marlborough House between December 1856 and January 1857, and subsequently bought piecemeal by this museum. Many pieces were heavily restored or made up of partly old pieces, like this example. |
| Associated object | 7183-1860 (Set) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 7179-1860 |
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| Record created | May 10, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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