Armchair

This is one of a set of six chairs made for the library at Brocket Hall about 1773. Compared with the library chairs at Nostell, the Brocket Hall example, made six years later, is considerably simpler. Only the two front legs are decorated, compared with all four at Nostell: the Brocket example has simple, reeded tapering legs with a blocked toe and capital. At Nostell the legs of the library chairs have ambitious fluted and leaf clad columnar legs rising to blocks with oval paterae while the seat rails have elaborate running guilloche bands. This compares with the simple stuffed-over upholstery at Brocket. The backs, however, are identical, and the arms of each terminate in a Greek key – a motif which was to become something of a Chippendale trademark in later years. Early photographs of the chairs show them to have been originally upholstered in tufted red leather with a double row of beaded brass nails, later replaced with gimp.

This item is owned by The Chippendale Society. Explore the Society’s website and collections by clicking the external link below.