A Mahogany Sheraton Style Single Chair - Country Sheraton Design Armchair  -  Chair of the Early Regency Period

A Sheraton design chair of considerable workmanship. Many such chairs are to be found painted in white and gilt or otherwise having painted decoration on birch or beech wood. In the main the painted versions are
more highly sought after than the mahogany ones, which makes for higher prices. Note the turned and fluted legs. The arm uprights have spiral reeding.
A Sheraton design arm and single chair in mahogany. The uprights and arms are reeded, which lightens the square solidarity of design. Note the vase shaped turned arm supports and the way in which the broad top
rail is panelled. The legs and back uprights are reeded; this effect is also carried round the panel in the wider top back rail.
A simpler Sheraton design with tapering legs normally made in mahogany. The arm uprights are of straightforward turning without the spiral reeding which adds greatly to price. An elegant and simple style which remained popular for many years.
Late 18th century arm and single chairs. Note the broad top rail in the back, the panel veneered in figured mahogany. The spiral twist middle rail is a feature of quality particularly important in value assessment of these chairs. The legs are turned, without any fluting. The arms of the elbow chair sweep forward and curve down to meet the line of the front legs. The proportion of these admirable smaller dining chairs makes them
extremely popular in the modern home,
Another late Georgian c. 1810 mahogany armchair, something of a combination of Sheraton and prevailing styles. The wide top back rail is veneered with a panel of figured mahogany and the centre rail is elegantly
reeded. The turning of the front legs and the arm supports, with the popular vase shape, is lightly and gracefully done. Occasionally brass stringing will be found around the inlaid back panel, which adds to the
decorative value.
A mahogany Sheraton style single chair with Gothic arching in the design of the back. The legs are tapered on the inside edge only and are reeded, as is the back. An elegant and simple chair.
A mahogany armchair of the late 18th century. An excellent example of a good quality chair, as evidenced in the reeding and lightness of design of the back. The turned legs are a little clumsier and have hints of later
things to come.
Country Sheraton design armchair in mahogany with bowed solid seat. A satisfying and simple country design of which many were made to meet the popular demand caused by the town versions.
A simpler Sheraton design with tapering legs normally made in mahogany. The arm uprights are of straightforward turning without the spiral reeding which adds greatly to price. An elegant and simple style which remained popular for many years.
Late 18th century arm and single chairs. Note the broad top rail in the back, the panel veneered in figured mahogany. The spiral twist middle rail is a feature of quality particularly important in value assessment of these chairs. The legs are turned, without any fluting. The arms of the elbow chair sweep forward and curve down to meet the line of the front legs. The proportion of these admirable smaller dining chairs makes them
extremely popular in the modern home.
Another late Georgian c. 1810 mahogany armchair, something of a combination of Sheraton and prevailing styles. The wide top back rail is veneered with a panel of figured mahogany and the centre rail is elegantly
reeded. The turning of the front legs and the arm supports, with the popular vase shape, is lightly and gracefully done. Occasionally brass stringing will be found around the inlaid back panel, which adds to the
decorative value.
Proportion and design  Figure of wood and inlays
A country Sheraton single chair in mahogany with straight legs and solid seat. The square back with vertical rails owes much to the popularity of Sheraton styles, otherwise the design comes from a straightforward 18th century construction.
A rather heavier Sheraton style mahogany country chair with drop-in seat. The broad top rail of the back has been made slightly wider than the back uprights which detracts slightly from the elegance of the style.
Otherwise the construction and tapering legs are typical.
An elegant chair of the early Regency period, with caned back and seat. The outward turn of the simulated bamboo legs is most effective and the balance is completed by the curved top rail. The seat rail and the top
rail are inlaid with stringing in the approved classical manner. Many of these chairs were made of birch or beech and then ebonised or painted. They are almost inevitably very expensive.
Lightness and elegance of design

CHAIRS: SHERATON
About 1780-1810
Designs for chair backs from Thomas Sheraton’s Drawing Book (1792).
Although contemporary with Hepplewhite and sharing many features, antique chairs of Thomas Sheraton (published between 1791 and 1803), exerted a broader and longer-lasting influence. A designer, not a practising cabinet maker, Sheraton illustrated both English and French styles, many of them anticipating the Regency style. Some were highly imaginative and technically ingenious, and probably were never executed.
Lighter designs than Hepplewhite’s; lower, square backs with strong horizontal and vertical emphasis. Typically a narrow cross-rail several inches above seat with an increasingly broad crest rail. Space between filled with delicately carved and moulded vertical or diagonal bars in a variety of geometric, latticework and popular patterns. Fewer curving lines than previously. Sometimes filler design over-rides crest rail in centre (see illus.).
Designs of armchairs were particularly suc-
Pair of Sheraton-style mahogany chairs, about 1790-1800.
Very simple Sheraton-style side-chair, 1800, arm rests sweeping down from a point close to crest rail, either to meet vertical supports set slightly back from seat front, or, continuing into a second curve meeting short supports, or even extensions of front legs.
Side uprights, arms and legs occasionally turned and sometimes fluted (this more common after 1800). Legs end in spade feet.
Seats were drop-in or stuff-over. May be gently curved at back and sides. Canework and squab’cushions on painted and japanned chairs. Not uncommon for these to be over-stuffed at a later date; removal of
upholstery will reveal canework holes in frame. (These may have small panel of canework incorporated in the design of the back.)
Narrow, straight, tapering legs, moulded, reeded or fluted, sometimes with spade feet. With or without stretchers.
Mahogany; satinwood; beech and birch when painted or japanned. Beech and sometimes ash for underframes. Oak, beech, elm and local woods for country versions.
Standard practices employed; crest rail set between uprights, not overriding them.
Delicate, often restrained, low-relief carving on splats. Sometimes fine inlay on crest rails, mostly in form of stringing lines. Painted dec-
oration of flowers.
Polish, paint, japanning.
VALUES
Not dissimilar to Hepplewhite . Even sets of eight seldom more than four figures. The more delicate the design (without losing structural strength), the more desirable will be the chair.
PROVINCIAL AND COUNTRY INTERPRETATIONS
Very plain surfacesof this Sheraton chair is very typical, little or no moulding, carving or turning. Straight tapering legs, usually retaining stretchers. Backs were composed of simple vertical and
horizontal bars.