Antique 17th-18th Century Walnut Chair - William and Mary Period Walnut Armchair - A Queen Anne Period Country Walnut Chair - George II Period Mahogany Chair Furniture
Antique 17th-18th Century Walnut Chair - William and Mary Period Walnut Armchair - A Queen Anne Period Country Walnut Chair - George II Period Mahogany Chair Furniture
Late 17th century walnut chair with velvet upholstery. Shaped stretchers and carved bulbs on legs.
Quality of execution of legs and stretchers
Late 17th century - William and Mary period - Walnut armchair. Curved and moulded stretchers. Note the bulb turning and ‘bun’ feet - to be seen on other pieces of the period such as side tables and chest stands. The wool or hair upholstery is covered with velvet with bullion braiding. Note also the curvature of the arms to balance the stretchers.
Chairs of this period tend to be uncommon and wide variations occur depending on condition and quality.
William and Mary period walnut chair with cane back. A marked development in design from the previous example. The high cane back and square section joining of the back legs has been retained but the new form of leg - the cabriole - has appeared, introduced to England byforeign workmen. The cabrioles in this example finish in hoof or pied-de-biche feet. This is an early form of Continental influence. The transition between the high backed cane chairs of the 17th century and the finely carved cabrioles of the 18th century is to be seen. The Victorians were fond of making hall chairs of this type but usually lost proportion in legs and stretchers.
Queen Anne period walnut chair of early design. The now famous splat shape is evident but the high back is retained, although a curve in the rake of the back has emerged - the spoon back. There is a shaped and moulded stretcher but in this case the cabriole legs terminate in simple pad feet. The height of the back and the square section of the back legs are retained from the previous century. An interesting feature peculiar to Q. A. workmanship is the slightly raised planed moulding at the bottom of the frame just under the seat, rather like cockbeading. cabriole-leg side tables and chest stands of the period sometimes exhibit the same feature.
A superb walnut armchair of about 1710 raised on high quality cabriole legs decorated on the knee with criss cross carving and small tassels, the ends terminating in ball and claw feet. The back is of unusual shape but the solid splat of walnut veneered on oak is found on less good examples. The shepherd’s crook arms are well proportioned. The thick rim round the drop-in seat is typical of the period, as is the shell motif repeated on the cresting rail. A side view would show the pronounced rake of this top quality chair.
Cabrioles Back
A Queen Anne period country walnut chair which was originally rush-seated. The front legs are cabrioles and the turned stretchers between the legs have square joints. The presence of stretchers tends to distract somewhat from the line of the cabrioles and is generally assumed to be a feature of the chairs of the earlier part of the period. The back legs and uprights are also turned, a feature frequently found on chairs of this period. The plain back splat is curved and the rush seatwas of the drop-in type. The cabriole legs end in pad feet and the design and execution of the chair is of good quality for country furniture. Instead of fitting shoulder pieces at the sides of the cabriole knees, the flat facets are covered with round knobs, glued on.
Quality of cabriole and back Note the cabrioles on this example are slightly bandy and the knee (top) is too heavy for the foot.
Queen Anne country chair, with back splat of shape typically associated with the period. Drop-in seat; turned stretchers and back uprights. Cabriole legs of gentler curve, ending in small pad feet. Generally to be found in either walnut - now more scarce - or oak. Occasional examples in elm.
Original stretchers. Stretchers may be found to have been replaced, but value not greatly affected. Beware however of replacement feet, legs or top rail which detract.
Walnut Queen Anne period corner chair with inlaid diamond pattern in boxwood. Turned stretchers and uprights. Typically shaped splats in figured walnut. Drop-in seat. Cabriole legs ending in pad feet; note the shell motif carved on the front cabriole, a factor of quality. This chair is possibly of country origin.
Quality of execution, i.e. proportion, grace of cabrioles, shell motifs etc.
Queen Anne walnut country chair, with cabriole legs at front and back. Fully upholstered seat. The plain back splat curved to meet shaped top rail. Note the absence of stretchers between the legs, generally supposed to be a later improvement of the period.
Quality and originality of cabriole legs
A George II period mahogany chair. Note that although a fine quality Cuban mahogany has been used, the style is one which would normally be associated withwalnut; but there are extra refinements. The vase shaped splat has small scrolls and a shell work top. The shaped uprights to the back are topped with eagle heads and the cabriole legs have leaf patterns carved on the knees.
Country chair of pre-Chippendale design c. 1745-55. The transition of the back splat from the solid Queen Anne shape to pierced Chippendale design is evident, as is the squarer shaping of the top rail. The square legs - chamfered on the inside - and rectangular section stretchers are also typical and generally associated with ‘Chippendale’ country types. The rush drop-in seat is of a type from country chairs of an earlier period. These chairs are generally to be found in oak or elm, with scarcer walnut examples.
Oak and Elm, Walnut.
Tags: 17th century, Antique, armchair, bun feet, cabriole leg, cabriole legs, cane chairs, chair, design, England, George II, mahogany, Queen Anne, Queen Anne Period, stretcher, velvet upholstery, william and mary