18th Century Upholstered Chairs
CHAIRS — upholstered 18th century, evolution of wings
Upholstery, like chairs, came late to the general ruck of people. Important personages, not obliged to sit on benches or stools, doubtless padded their important seats with a variety of coverings. For our purposes the upholstered chair can start in the late seventeenth century and go forward from there. The price of upholstered chairs is greatly influenced by the presence of original or contemporary covering fabric.
A late seventeenth century chair with typical scrolled feet and arm supports, with carved front stretcher again echoing these motifs. The silk covering could well be original. The straight high thin sides are typical.
1680-1690
A walnut chair with needlework covering of fine proportion. The turning of the legs, which end in bun feet, and the stretcher and arm supports, is delightful. c. 1670-1680
Another superb walnut wing chair on cabriole legs with scrolls at the top. The arms have an elegant outwards sweep. The only possible criticism is that the legs are, if anything, too thin, lacking the robustness of the period. 1710-1730
258 A sophisticated walnut wing chair of the early eighteenth century with cabriole legs and shaped stretchers. There is iicely scrolled curve inside the knee of the cabrioles, which end in pad feet.
1710-1720 A leather-covered wing chair on cabriole legs in walnut with pad feet. 1720-1730
A slightly later type than 262. It lacks the broad roll of the arms and the straight top is less attractive. The castors are new — the originals would be broad and thin, and the seat looks out of shape. c.1770
Better quality than the previous example with slightly hipped decoration and good ball-and-claw carving. The front cabriole seen on the right of the picture appears in the photograph to be too splayed out. c.1730
A Chippendale design with the typical square moulding to the front legs and stretcher. The wings curve out from the back of the arms and continue the serpentine form of the top rail in a most satisfying manner. A form much admired by reproduction manufacturers. c. 1760
The thinner tapering legs and lack of stretcher suggest a late eighteenth century date. The back and the wings have integrated into a single curve relieved by the pleating.
c. 1780 Still fine quality but a much less grand piece. Moulded decoration on the arms and legs. The same solid four square appearance. c. 1765
Tags: cabriole, cabriole legs, CHAIRS, Chippendale, eighteenth century, seventeenth century, upholstered chair, Upholstered Chairs, wing chair