A GEORGE II YEW AND CHESTNUT 'GOTHIK' WINDSOR ARMCHAIR, THAMES VALLEY, MID 18TH CENTURY

A GEORGE II YEW AND CHESTNUT 'GOTHIK' WINDSOR ARMCHAIRTHAMES VALLEY, MID 18TH CENTURY106.5cm high, 64cm wide, 55cm deep overallA remarkably similar chair is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York (Accession Number: 2016.234). Eighteenth century chairs with Gothic shaped backs and pierced splats are considered to represent the pinnacle of Windsor chair design, as fashionable items of furniture made in the first half of the 18th century and into the second half. Although now very rare, they were regularly made and listed in invoices by makers in St Paul's Churchyard from the second quarter of the 18th century. In 1734, for example, one invoice records 'Paid John Willis rect in Paul's Churchyard for 1 Windsor Settee with 4 seats, Two ditto with 3 seats each, and 8 single chairs at 6 ye seat £5.8.0. Pd' [Ref. George Bowes, London accounts 1733-34. Durham Record Office. D/Strathmore/V1390].Chairs of this type owe much to the Gothic revival in architecture and furniture which took place in the second quarter of the 18th century. This style was famously reflected in the home of Horace Walpole (1717 - 1797), who purchased a house at Strawberry Hill, London, and converted it into a cottage with Gothic tracery windows, which has become synonymous with this style of seating. Condition Report: There are some marks, scratches, chips, splits, abrasions consistent with age and use.This chair has typical running repairs including some peg/dowel fixings to the back rails joining the pierced splats. The back of the seat has a section of timber set into it. The arched crest rail has an opened joint to the tip and two cracks to the moulding at the most extreme point in the bend of the timber. The shaped end of one arm chipped, the shaped section of the arm end cracked and repaired. There are some cracks to the legs. Please refer to the additional images for a visual reference of condition. Condition Report Disclaimer