A Black-Painted Volute Carved Comb-Back Compass-Seat Windsor Side Chair

A Black-Painted Volute Carved Comb-Back Compass-Seat Windsor Side Chair

19th Century
Height 36 1/2 inches.

Property from the Collection of Addice and Peter Thomas, Fairfax, Virginia American Furniture, Folk & Decorative Arts Width 23 x depth 21 inches.
NOTE: This lot includes two chairs, though only one is mentioned.
Each in overall fair condition. The fully black painted example is in better condition as the other example has cracks and repairs to the supports. Old scuffs, marks and scratches consistent with age and use. The paint to each is of the 20th Century. The chair with more paint loss shows an old age crack in the seat that is secured with butterflies to the underside.

Addice and Peter Thomas, passionate collectors of American and English antiques, amassed a vast collection over their 60-year marriage. Both were active members of the Washington, D.C. arts community. Peter served as Dean of the Corcoran School of Art and later as Art Director at the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Addice studied voice and worked for two decades as the manager of the Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center.

As collectors, their focus was primarily on the 18th and 19th centuries, though they occasionally acquired from earlier periods. They frequently sourced their antiques at shops along the east coast and during their annual trips to the United Kingdom.

Their collection is incredibly diverse, encompassing a wide range of items from art, folk art, and decorative arts to sterling silver, tinware, blue granite, pewter, copper and brass. Their collection of English ceramics including ironstone, early Mason’s wares, Gaudy Welsh, Gaudy Dutch, and Staffordshire, numbered in the hundreds. Additionally, they acquired over one hundred Staffordshire figures and child's dishes, Toby jugs, and Dutch ceramics including a striking five-vase garniture. Finally, they had a substantial collection of American and English furniture, child’s furniture and over fifty Persian carpets. Their collection was a testament to their passion for antiques and their dedication to building a truly unique collection.