{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O167698"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O167698/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2544/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006BF2544/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006BF2544","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017KD2752","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O167698/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O167698","accessionNumber":"W.28-1909","objectType":"Chair","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"A tall-back walnut chair with pierced splat, the seat upholstered in green silk velvet, the front legs cabriole with hoofed feet.\r\nThe cabriole legs are outlined on the visible faces with a raised moulding ending in a scroll. A similar moulding, with scrolled end, above the knee, scrolls down at either side to almost meet the leg moulding and the two scrolls are linked by a continuation of the moulding. The lower edge of the knee mouldings meet in a ‘V’ shape and continue as a carved drop. The hoof feet are carved with hairy ‘feathering’. The back legs are square sectioned, the lower part raked with a pronounced kick, the centre section carved in ‘horse bone’, in the cross section, with a scroll at the base. \r\nThe legs are joined by an H stretcher of curvilinear plan, the top edges rounded. The cross stretcher (a replacement) is carved as a rising bow. The seat is trapezoidal and covered in modern green silk velvet, somewhat threadbare on the front edge.\r\nThe uprights are a continuation of the back legs and have a short plain section above the seat, which supports the back frame. The sides of this are waisted and the top and bottom rails are carved and pierced, as is the central splat. The whole back is serpentine in profile (‘India back’) and moulded on its front face. The top and bottom rail are carved with scrolls and fan-like features, with some piercing. The splat is carved as a symmetrical scrolling frame enclosing two areas of piercing which are carved with scrolls, foliage, fan shapes and a cartouche. The top rail rises to an integral cresting section carved with scrolls. \r\nUnderneath the seat, the base cloth is plain weave linen and the webbing a 2 inch wide black and white chevron. There are corner blocks at the back, added in the 19th Century. The seat rails are of beech, now stained dark. \r\nConstruction: The chair is of standard mortise and tenon construction with the chair rails tenoned into blocks at the top of the legs, the stretchers tenoned into the legs with the cross-stretcher tenoned between them, and the bottom rail of the back tenoned between the uprights. The top rail runs across the uprights and they are tenoned up into it. The splat is tenoned between the top and bottom rails. Most of the sections are carved in the solid. The ‘ears’ at the top of the PL leg are carved check from separate blocks, glued on. The inner side of the waisted section of the PR back is also cut from an additional section, glued on. The front face of the splat shows a central scribing line for the laying out of the carving. \r\nCondition: The chair has been quite heavily restored and is now darkly varnished to disguise the work done. The central stretcher is a replacement, as is clear from the marks of a band saw on the underside, and from its exaggerated, rising form that bears no resemblance to the flat, shaped stretcher that is standard form for this pattern of chair. \r\nThe PL back leg, below the seat rail, is a replacement and the carved scroll just above the tall foot is noticeably flatter than the one on the other leg. \r\nOn the PR upright there is worm damage at the base of the back panel and a new section has been scarfed in, running from just above the carved section of the leg to a point just above the start of the frame of the back.\r\nThere is a repaired fracture just to the PR side of the splat on the bottom rail of the back.\r\n\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"walnut","id":"AAT12476"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved walnut with upholstered seat of modern velvet","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"},{"text":"Woodwork","id":"THES48877"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2006BF2544","2017KD2752"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES342172"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Chair","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":"Possibly"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1715-1720","earliest":"1715-01-01","latest":"1720-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"117","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"55","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"58","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"45","unit":"cm","qualifier":"to top of seat rail","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"From catalogue: 116.8 x 55.2 x 58.4 cm.","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Bought for £5 from H. Walters Esq. 2, Milverton Road, Brondesbury Park, NW 6. Condition \"Slightly worm eaten and worn.\"\r\n\r\nA.M. 5075/09 “passed for destruction\r\nNotes from R.P. 09/5075\r\n\r\n27 October 1909 letter, H Walters to V & A\r\ndescribes the chair for sale.  He feels sure it is rare and offers it for £5.\r\n\r\n3 November 1909 Minute paper of Oliver Brackett, Report of Inspection\r\nThe chair is a high-backed of carved walnut with ornamental splat and cabriole legs with hoof feet.  It belongs to the period of William & Mary.  A similar chair, illustrated in Macquoid (Vol II fig.158) is at Hampton Court Palace.  He notes the chairs at Hampton Court were probably designed by Daniel Marot who came to England with William III - which accounts for its Dutch character.  The chair seems genuine and the museum does not have one of this type.  He recommends acceptance.\r\n\r\n12 November 1909 Purchase form\r\nThe condition is noted as \"chipped and cracked\".\r\n\r\n17 November 1909 Minute of Lehfeldt\r\nAlso compares this chair to one at Hampton Court.  He notes a difference in the rails which in this chair \"are probably later additions\".\n\nStyle of Daniel Marot. A set of eighteen similar chairs at Hampton Court Palace were supplied by Richard Roberts. Chairmaker to George I, in 1717, and in the receipts are described as having ‘India’ backs presumably in reference to the pierced carving. This chair shows the early beginnings of the cabriole leg.\r\nSee Edward’s Dictionary of English Furniture. Vol I, p. 253, fig. 82 for similar chair in the Donaldson Collection.\n\nNotes, c2000\r\nThere is evidence of much repair work: The \"proper left\" back leg has been replaced. The front of the \"proper right\" back leg also has a newer section spliced in, apparently because of worm damage.  The central stretcher does not look original. There are signs of glue on the underside of the seat rails. The back rail and reinforcing blocks are new. The original upholstery could have been different as the front rail is wide enough to take a row of studs.  The curve of the \"proper left\" back upright is different from the central and other side upright, indicating that it might be a replacement. A piece has been set into the \"proper left\" back upright, possibly because there is a knot in the wood. The front of the top rail was a separate piece, possibly a repair. In the pierced top rail the mortice and tenon joint is exposed due to the cutting away of the wood at the back.  \r\nThe seat needs recovering.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"A tall-back walnut chair with carved and pierced splat, the seat upholstered in green silk velvet, the front legs cabriole with hoofed feet. Shaped upward arching stretcher.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Benn, H.P and Shapland, H.P., <i>The Nation's Treasures. Measured Drawings of Fine Old Furniture in the Victoria and Albert Museum</i>. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent &amp; co. Ld and Benn Brothers Ltd., 1910, p. 16, pl. 22."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Charles H. Hayward, <i>Antique or Fake? The Making of Old Furniture. </i> London: Evans Brothers, 1970, illustrated on p. 132."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"Label\r\nCHAIR.  \r\nCarved walnut.  \r\nEnglish; Iate 17th century. \r\nThis chair is very similar to a set of eighteen chairs at Hampton Court Palace supplied by Richard Roberts, Chairmaker to George I, in 1717. They are almost identical to certain contemporary Dutch chairs and show  the beginning of the cabriole leg.         \r\n","date":{"text":"1968","earliest":"1968-01-01","latest":"1968-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.28-1909"],"accessionNumberNum":"28","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1909,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-08","recordCreationDate":"2008-09-25","availableToBook":true}}