Wainscot Chairs
CHAIRS —WAINSCOT
antique English Wainscot chair - Wainscot chair furniture - 17th century oak chair - folding mahogany dining chairs - carved back dining chair - antique oak panelled dining chair - Louis 14th chairs
A fine example of antique English Wainscot chair, inlaid in flower patterns of various woods, and deeply carved. The decorative top rail and shoulder pieces of this oak and mahigany Wainscot chair furniture combine to provide a suitably impressive backcloth to the sitter’s head. This is a typical 17th Century wood chair with carved lion heads and feet and is made in 1600`s (see Chinnery).
An example of 17th century oak chair with fluted legs and arm supports and carved panelled back with guilloche carving on the uprights and seat rails, but replaced top rail (see section on Victorian carved oak chairs). c.1625
Prior to the early seventeenth century the head of the house and his wife sat on folding mahogany dining chairs usually wood carved, the rest on stools. The carved back dining chair was, therefore, a status symbol. By late times the Elizabethan chair had become the solidly constructed type illustrated, usually in oak, 1666 saw a furniture maker’s dream come true — a fire destroying nearly all fashionable London without loss of life, and a new style lately arrived from France where antique louis 14th chairs flourished and Italy with Charles II oak chairs with twist legs.
The antique oak panelled dining chair and mahogany chairs were dead in fashionable society but, judging by the number of Wainscot chairs dating as late as 1700`s, the style enjoyed continued popularity in the country, especially the north of Britain. There are many Victorian reproductions of these antique chairs on the market. Elements of style as well as lion head arms, lions feet, claw foot and velvet upholstery was much imitated later.
Value Points: Marquetry, good vigorous deep carving, inlay and, of course, patination. Ideally the chair should have a slightly high back with plenty of decoration on the top — the throne effect. The pattern should be clearly defined as a specific subject and not just general decoration.
Dated 1678 with baluster rather than straight turned legs and simple top rail, the back with shallow carving of decorated diamond form — probably South Yorkshire.
A Wainscot chair of a simpler but still well carved design incorporating birds which can be identified to a group made in South Yorkshire in the third quarter of the seventeenth century (see Chinnery). Furniture is vigorously carved and retains the high top rail and supporting pieces of the earlier type. c. 1650-1675
This oak Wainscot chair comes from another well defined group in Cheshire (see Chinnery) and has very good carving with flowers and vines in an almost tapestry type outline. The pyramid finials on the top of the low back are typical of the group. c. 1660.
Tags: CHAIRS, Charles II, Cheshire, country, early seventeenth century, Elizabethan, furniture maker, London, Marquetry, stools, Yorkshire