Set of Six 18th Century George III Dining Chairs

A very fine and unusual set of six chairs of superb quality, possibly by Gillows of Lancaster. English, circa 1770–80.

Why we like them

We love this rare combination of the refined sophistication and the vernacular inspiration of these beautiful chairs.

Attribution

Their distinctive wavy seat-rails are closely related to the aprons of whatnots, illustrated in the Gillow’s Estimate Sketch books for March 1790 (Lindsay Boynton, Gillow Furniture Designs 1760 - 1800, Royston, 1995, pl.235). These chairs also relate to Gillows designs for chairs, referred to as `fiddle-back' chairs. In 1764 Richard Gillow had written to Wilson & Brown of the Strand asking for a sketch for such a chair, `there are very neat chairs now made in London with ribs fix'd level back to back and not upright and also the seats made hollow before upholstered'. A watercolour in the Gillow archive shows a related chair with bamboo-turned legs. (See Susan Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London 1730 - 1840, Woodbridge, 2008, vol.I, p.155 and Lindsay Boynton, Gillow Furniture Designs 1760 - 1800, Royston, 1995, no. 247)

The superb quality of mahogany and of the craftsmanship combined with the design language and stylistic similarities make the attribution to the Gillow firm highly probable.

Dimensions

Width: 48 cm / 19”
Depth: 47 cm / 18.5”
Height: 87 cm / 34.25”

Condition

Freshly waxed and sturdy, these chairs are currently awaiting reupholstery.