{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O172534"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O172534/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KC4323/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017KC4323/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017KC4323","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O172534/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O172534","accessionNumber":"630-1886","objectType":"Armchair","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"When this armchair was acquired by the Museum in 1886 it was initially catalogued as English because the overall form of the chair was one which originated in England.  The 'bended back' form, with a serpentine splat that supported the lower back, was derived from Chinese chairs.  It was enthusiastically taken up because of the level of comfort that it gave. Such chairs were widely copied, especially in northern Europe and versions of the design can be found in Scandinavia and Germany. The elegant, naturalistic inlay of flowers on this chair and the strongly defined carved elements suggest that it was made in The Netherlands, where such inlay was highly popular. ","physicalDescription":"Carved and inlaid walnut armchair with scrolling feet, curved arms, shaped armrests and a splat inlaid with a vase of flowers, upholstered drop-in seat; the seat rails are tenoned into the legs which are carved with scrolling foliate detail at the knee and foot; the side rails are double pegged into the back stiles, the back rail is not pegged, there is no sign of pegging on the front rail but this could be obscured by the two triangular glue blocks at each front corner where the rails are joined to the front leg stiles; at the front the apron is decorated with an applied shell motif at its centre and with a foliate shell motifs above each knee; at the top of the front legs there are scrolling ears at either side which have been pieced out using a block of unidentified wood faced with walnut, the side ear on proper right leg seems to be a solid walnut replacement (this needs checking under better light); there is a rebate round the top edge of the seat rails and the arm supports are rebated at their back and front end to sit on the edge of the seat rail, the centre section of the arm support extends down unrebated into a vertical rebate in the seat rail; the arm supports are probably tenoned up into the armrests or there is a false tenon joining them together; repair to right arm; the armrests are rebated at the back to fit around the seat back stiles to which they are fixed either with screws and plugs or simply pegged we cannot see which; the splat is fixed to the top rail with a barefaced tenon at the top and to the back seat rail with a fully cut tenon; it is made from solid walnut carved with foliate ornament on either side near its top (we cannot see whether this is applied over the top of the veneer or inset); the splat is inlaid with various woods representing a vase of flowers framed by a single line of stringing in a pale wood which follows the shape of the splat; the stiles are tenoned through the top rail of the seat back which is not typical of Dutch construction; the cresting on the top rail has been inset at the back with a block to support it, the top rail has been pieced out to accommodate the shell which is then applied;  the drop-in seat frame is of beech with front and back rails tenoned into side rails with no pegs; at the left end of the front rail and the front of the left side rail we can see very clear scribe lines where the wood has been measured to cut the mortice / tenon; headless nails have been scew nailed downwards into the inside vertical face of each rail, three in each rail except the proper right end of the front rail - these probably for securing a protective loose case cover; the front and side rails of the seat frame are shaped on their outside face and straight on their inside face, the whole seat frame could be late 18th / early 19th-century replacement; the webbing is English and dates to about 1790-1830 and the seat is stuffed with mixed black and white horsehair, mainly black pads with mixed black and white on top; the black pads have possibly been put in later, possibly at the same time as the 20th-century webbing, the old webbing and base cloth has been left in place but the 20th-century webbing and padding overdone and the old webbing and base cloth not strong enough to hold.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"walnut","id":"AAT12476"}],"techniques":[{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"marquetry","id":"AAT53853"},{"text":"veneering","id":"AAT53878"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Carved and inlaid walnut with upholstered drop-in seat","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2017KC4323"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"002","id":"THES342458"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Armchair","id":"AAT37776"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Netherlands","id":"x29020"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1730-1750","earliest":"1730-01-01","latest":"1750-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"42","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"24","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Armchair of solid and veneered walnut with floral inlay in several woods on the central splat and a drop-in, upholstered seat. The front legs are of cabriole form above scrolling feet, the back is waisted in elevation, the arms are of 'shepherd's crook' form. The centre of the top rail and the front seat rail are carved with shallow, fan-like motifs, the front corners of the seat rail with shells.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["630-1886"],"accessionNumberNum":"630","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1886,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-06-09","recordCreationDate":"2008-11-14","availableToBook":true}}