Fine Pair of Giltwood Armchairs in the manner of Thomas Chippendale

An exceptional pair of George III style giltwood armchairs, 19th century copies of one of Thomas Chippendale's most beautiful models. English, c. 1890.

Why we love them

The present armchairs belong to a large group of ornate drawing-room seat-furniture, conforming to Thomas Chippendale’s documented patterns. Although a further research is required to reveal its definite 18th-century provenance, the combination of stylistic and constructional features of the known pieces allow to confidently attribute this model to Chippendale’s workshop. According to Christopher Gilbert, ‘Chippendale employed certain well-defined design types which could be elaborated or simplified according to a patron’s taste or purse. He never repeated a pattern exactly, but his standard chair forms and ornamental permutations, combined with special technical features amount to a statement of authorship’.

Apart from ornament under the front seat rail and a slightly different decoration of the armrests, the present pair of chairs is virtually identical to a set of four armchairs from Harewood House, Yorkshire, illustrated in Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 108, fig. 182. The four armchairs were sold by the 7th Earl of Harewood at Christie’s, London, 1 July 1965, lot 55 and bought by the celebrated London antiques firm, Mallet & Son Ltd., who subsequently sold them in pairs (illustrated in Lanto Synge, Chairs, 1978, pl. 55a and Lanto Synge, Great English Furniture, 1991, p. 101).

One of a set of six armchairs, identical to the present examples, is illustrated in Christopher Gilbert, The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale, 1978, vol. II, p. 108, fig. 183, as ‘representative of numerous unprovenanced suites which conform to Chippendale’s standard documented patterns’. The provenance of these six chairs can be traced back to the 1950’s, when they were bought from Scotney & Son Antiques of Stamford, Lincolnshire, by Charles Lumb & Sons Ltd. of Harrogate, Yorkshire, for £600 (Frank Lumb, An Appreciation From His Many Friends, 1993, pp. 31–32).

Other chairs from this group are known, one sold at Sotheby’s London, 4 December 2013, lot 489 (£42,500), described as acquired from Mallett & Son Ltd., London, 20th October 1967. Interestingly, Mallett’s receipt of sale indicates the armchair came from the Drawing Room at Harewood House. Another identical armchair, from the collection of Henry Ford II, was sold Christie’s, New York, 17 October 1981, lot 172 ($13,000), subsequently with Loyd-Paxton of Dallas, Texas, offered at Heritage Auctions, 1 November 2007, lot 33454. A further armchair from this group was exhibited by Ronald Phillips Ltd. at the Masterpiece London in 2018, and illustrated in their catalogue, Ronald Phillips, The Legacy of Thomas Chippendale, London, 2018, pp. 166–169.

The present pair being exactly identical in detail and measurements to other known examples listed here, however, evidently later in date then the armchair exhibited by Ronald Phillips (we had no opportunity to examine the other chairs in person), indicate that they were copied directly from the originals, supplied by Chippendale. It is not inconceivable that they were made later in the 19th century to extend the existing set, possibly by one of London’s celebrated firms, that specialised in reselling fine 18th century furniture, such as Trollope & Sons, Wright & Mansfield or Lenygon & Morant.

Dimensions

Depth: 27 in / 69 cm
Width: 23.5 in / 60 cm
Height: 36.5 in / 93 cm
Seat height: 16.25 in / 41 cm