CHAIRS — cabriole leg, high back
It wasn’t just the introduction of the cabriole leg, but the way it appears to have changed the thinking on how chairs should be made that caused so dramatic a revolution in chair design. In the next sections we have separated these chairs into two distinct categories. First, the group of high back chairs in which the back uprights and splats are highly curved. These chairs all have stretchers, most of them turned.
The second group have lower backs and some are less curved. Not all of them have stretchers between the legs and most of the better quality examples have flat or moulded faces to the back uprights, a feature which became almost universal as the century proceeded. Armchairs do not fit so easily into these distinct categories. It is a matter of conjecture whether the first group predates the second; there are several tempting theories to suggest that it does. We will leave this to be decided by the furniture historians… What is certain, however, is that the side views of the chairs below show the very marked difference in height and rake of the two types. Although most examples have drop-in seats, some certainly will have had rush seats.
The side view shows the main differences between the two types of early cabriole leg chairs. That on the left has a high, beautifully curved back with a simple splat. The one on the right has a shorter, stiffer, square back, much easier to make and cheaper on materials. The former type of chair is discussed in this section, the latter in the next.
As for most chairs the price escalates slightly for a pair. As a broad rule of thumb, a pair is worth three times the value of a single.
cabriole legs all round and a serpentine stretcher to join them. The shape of the cabrioles is typical of the earlier type with a high knee; they are a bit thick near the foot because the maker felt he needed more support for the stretcher. Other early features are the thin front rail and, of course, the fine curve to the back. The two touches of seaweed marquetry make it appear a better chair than it is. c. 1700
A very cleverly designed chair, again with the thin vase splat and shaped top rail. Good use is made of the C-scroll motif on cabrioles but they are still corrupted by the cross-stretcher. c. 1710
A superb countrified version of great character, note the applied turned decoration in place of shoulder supports and the straight uprights with the movement in the unshaped splat. The cabrioles are very good.
c. 1700
A classic of the type but time has robbed it of its toes and drop-in seat. The thin rail, very high cabrioles, vase splat and high curved back are all there, as is the poor back of the cabriole where the stretcher meets it.
Just about scrapes into this section because of the very good movement in the back but it obviously comes right at the end of the sequence because the back is lower (although the uprights are still rounded), and the splat is pierced and has more shape. Decoration too is creeping in on the top rail.