A Pair of Important Giltwood Armchairs c. 1775

A fine pair of carved and gilded open armchairs in the manner of Thomas Chippendale, possibly part of a suite of royal furniture that left the Royal Collection under King George IV. Oval backs with a carved and molded rim crested with a stylized acanthus leaf and carved bead, the arms and their supports also shaped and molded and beaded , with padded arm rests, the supports with a carved scroll, the seat having a show wood rail again molded and beaded, the front legs turned and reeded with collars above carved acanthus leaves at the foot, the rear legs terminating in scrolls. Gilding original but refreshed. England, circa 1775.

These beautifully drawn chairs are identical in almost every respect to a suite of seat furniture comprising six armchairs and two settees supplied to Sir Richard Colt Hoare at Stourhead c.1780. This suite has been attributed to Thomas Chippendale the Younger by Lucy Wood (Furniture History 2011, pp. 89-90, figs. 34-37). The constructional details of this suite include such idiosyncratic features as cramp cuts in the seat rails and an exposed back strut which are associated with attributions to the Chippendale workshops. These same features are present in this pair of chairs. The only notable difference between the Stourhead suite and our chairs is that the Stourhead examples lack the pearl beading on the frames, which is actually a sign of further refinement on our model.
In her article, Lucy Wood noted the existence of other sets of near-identical chairs. One was made for Egremont House in London and Petworth House, Sussex, for the Earls of Egremont in c.1778, and another suite of 16 armchairs was supplied to Burton Constable. A set of four chairs from Somerville House, Balrath, County Meath, Ireland possibly has the greatest comparative value. These chairs mirror the present pair entirely, including the pearl beading, and have a fascinating history. Somerville House descended in the family of Lady Maria Conyngham, one of George IV's mistresses. It has long been alleged that Lady Conyngham stole items from the Royal Collection at Windsor Castle as George IV lay dying and this led to a long-running series of legal repercussions. In 1875, Lady Conyngham's daughter, Elizabeth, Countess of Charlemont, gave a sworn deposition in which she identified several pieces of furniture at Somerville which were allegedly given to her mother by George IV. It is possible that the set of chairs were part of these gifts and they are certainly of a level of quality which would have graced any royal residence of the period. These chairs remained in Somerville House for the entire 20th century, being sold early in the 21st century at Sotheby's.
Whilst our chairs are not part of this set of four, it is highly likely that they were part of the same suite as originally made since no other suites, matching every detail, have been located. It is therefore possible that our chairs were part of a royal commission in the late 18th century but this must remain speculative until documentary evidence of some sort is discovered. No payments from King George III or Queen Charlotte to Chippendale have been identified but the King's brother, the Duke of Gloucester, was a documented Chippendale client and it is through this connection that the large numbers of items of seat furniture in the present royal collection are believed to have been acquired. See link for images: https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/5/collection/100201/open-armchair.