{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O55186"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O55186/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JU5222/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2017JU5222/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2017JU5222","copyright":"©Victoria & Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KT1426","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O55186/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O55186","accessionNumber":"W.67:1-1952","objectType":"Armchair","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"From the 1780s for at least forty years there was a fashion for very light chairs with painted and gilded decoration and caned seats.  Such chairs were known as 'fancy chairs'.  They were made by major manufacturers like Gillows of Lancaster but were also made by specialist producers, who might supply such chairs to larger firms whose clients had expressed a wish for them. This armchair would have been part of a larger set originally.  The black and gold decoration was extremely fashionable, with its nod to East Asian lacquer which was so avidly collected by the Prince Regent and others. The back panel of this chair makes specific reference to Chinese design and the figures may be copies from a published engraving. ","physicalDescription":"Armchair of beechwood, japanned black with gilded decoration, the seat caned. \n\nThe front legs are turned and tapering, the lower parts curving outwards. The back legs are of tapering square section and rake backwards, continuing to form the uprights of the back which scroll slightly backwards above a short, straight section that would be covered in use by a squab cushion. The arms scroll down from the outside of these uprights, and under at the front, the large scrolls resting on carved lion paw feet that in turn rest on short, turned support rising from above the front legs.  A horizontal oval panel takes the place of a top rail in the back, supported below by a trapezoidal panel, with scrolling framing elements, the centre filled with a pierced trellis. The seat is caned. The legs and uprights are decorated with gilded lines of different widths, the paw feet supports of the arms fully gilded. The tops of the arms show gilded foliage decoration and the front rail is decorated with an elaborate deisgn of vine leaves and trailing flowers, with <i>paterae</i> (rosettes) gilded on the blocks at the top of each front leg.  The oval panel of the back is decorated in gilding with two Asian musicians and their instruments, imitating East Asian lacque design. \n\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"beech","id":"AAT11948"},{"text":"cane","id":"AAT11864"}],"techniques":[{"text":"turning","id":"AAT53158"},{"text":"carving","id":"AAT53149"},{"text":"gilding","id":"AAT53789"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Beechwood, japanned and gilded, with seat of caning","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[{"text":"Regency","id":"AAT21231"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":["2017JU5222","2018KT1426"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES343231"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""},{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES343231"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Armchair","id":""}],[{"text":"Cushion","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"England","id":"x28826"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1810-1820","earliest":"1810-01-01","latest":"1820-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"84.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"59.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"54","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Height","value":"41.5","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"seat only","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Purchased from Filkins and Co., 9a Thurlow Place, London SW&amp; for £32 (Registered File 0015/53, in Nominal File MA/1/F508) . No further history of the chair recorded on those papers, but the chair appears in archive photos of the dealer Mallett's, so presumably was with them at an earlier period. This appears to have been the only piece of furniture sold to the Museum by Filkins, who generally specialised in ceramics.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Armchair of ebonized beechwood, with gilded decoration, the back with an oval panel supported by a pierced fretwork section, the arm supports in the form of lion paw feet supporting scrolling arms, the seat caned.","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"foliage","id":"AAT11892"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"ARMCHAIR\r\nENGLISH; about 1810\r\nJapanned beechwood with gilt decoration.","date":{"text":"1972","earliest":"1972-01-01","latest":"1972-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["W.67:1-1952","W.67:2-1952"],"accessionNumberNum":"67","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1952,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Armchair","Cushion"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-03-05","recordCreationDate":"2001-02-16","availableToBook":false}}