Side chair

Status

Not on view

Label Text

The clean lines and crisp silhouette of this chair's unadorned form set it apart from more elaborately carved examples of the same pattern, making it a more economical - but hardly less attractive - acquisition for its original owner. Members of the Weeks family, descendants of John Washington, uncle to George Washington, faithfully preserved it.

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Date1755-1795

Geography Made - United States

Medium/TechniqueMahogany (primary), yellow pine (slip seat), probably pine (corner blocks)

DimensionsOverall (H x W x D): 36 in. x 21 3/4 in. x 19 3/8 in. (91.44 cm x 55.25 cm x 49.23 cm)

Credit LineGift of Frances Washington Weeks and Nancy Hunter Weeks in memory of Anne Stephen Weeks, 1961

Object numberH-2376

DescriptionSide chair with a scalloped crest rail and circular ears, a Gothic strapwork splat seated within a beaded shoe, a trapezoidal seat frame beaded along its top edge, and straight, square or Marlborough front legs beaded on their outside corners joined by H-mounted stretchers and a rear stretcher mounted higher between the rear legs. Flat-faced, pierced splat with six ribs of interlaced Gothic tracery above a quatrefoil with a pointed top and two opposing leaf piercings; the C-scrolls that form the upper portion of the outer ribs terminate in points. Flat-faced crest rail and stiles, rounded at back. Through tenons, double-pegged on the side rails, and square legs and feet below the seat rail. All legs chamfered on the inside corners. Two-part, vertical-grain, quarter-round corner blocks at front and single piece, vertical-grain corner blocks at back.

Trapezoidal slip seat upholstered in black haircloth.

Published References

MarkingsInscribed on the inside of the rear seat rail: "X". Inscribed on the rabbet of the front seat rail: "X". Slip Seat Marks: Inscribed on the underside of the front rail of the slip seat: "IIII".

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