A Fine Pair Of George III Period Shield-back Armchairs

A fine pair of George III period giltwood open armchairs, each with an elegant shield-back, channelled back centred by a finely carved, fluted scallop shell, flanked by tapering husk trails and surmounted by acanthus-carved shoulders. the arm uprights are adorned with achantus leaf carvings and terminating onto the shield back with bell flowers.
The serpentine-fronted seat rails are centred by finely carved floral paterae above stylised classical drapery, with elegantly rounded corners. The chairs are raised on turned, tapering, fluted legs headed by leaf carving.

These armchairs, are closely related to designs by the architect James Wyatt and to the work of Mayhew and Ince.

The overall profile and carving are nearly identical to those of a suite of eight armchairs (probably originally twelve) supplied by Mayhew and Ince to James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon, for the Oval Drawing Room at Caledon House, Ireland (illustrated in Hugh Roberts, ‘Unequal'd Elegance: Mayhew and Ince's Furniture for James Alexander, 1st Earl of Caledon’, Furniture History, vol. XLV, 2009, p. 105, fig. 2).

Further related examples include a sofa sold at Sotheby's, New York, Kentshire: A Legendary Collection, 18 October 2014, lot 228, and an armchair with a square back similar to that of the sofa, sold at Sotheby's, New York, 26 October 2012, lot 292 ($18,750). A similar, possibly the same, armchair was also advertised by Norman Adams.

It is particularly interesting to note the close relationship between the overall profile of these armchairs and designs for chairs by James Wyatt, circa 1780, illustrated in John Cornforth and John Fowler, English Decoration in the 18th Century, London, 1974, p. 29, fig. 13.

provenance

A private collection USA