Stadtholder’s chair and footstool

As stadtholder, William IV was also commander of the army and navy of the Dutch Republic. This ceremonial chair was commissioned for him by the Amsterdam Admiralty - the administration of the fleet. The seat may have been designed by Xavery’s brother-in-law, Nicolaas Bruynestein of The Hague, but it is equally possible that he simply carried out the gilding.