Side chair

Status

Not on view

Date1755-1795

Geography Probably made - United States

Medium/TechniqueMahogany (primary), white pine (corner blocks)

DimensionsOverall (H x W x D): 36 1/2 in. x 21 1/2 in. x 20 3/8 in. (92.71 cm x 54.61 cm x 51.77 cm)

Credit LineGift of Marcia Feinstein and the James family, 2002 Conservation courtesy of The Founders, Washington Committee Endowment Fund

Object numberM-4287

DescriptionSide chair with an uncarved, scalloped crest rail and circular ears, an interlaced Gothic strapwork splat 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. Flat-faced crest rail and stiles, rounded at back. Side seat rails tenoned into rear stiles and secured with a single peg. All legs chamfered on inside corners; rear legs chamfered on all corners below the seat rail. Two-part, vertical-grain, quarter-round corner blocks at front. Rear rail filled out on inside of frame with a narrow vertical block in each corner, a lateral block across the upper half of the central portion with a mortise or channel cut through its center and a strip of wood with beveled edges nailed across and in front of the mortise.

Ghost marks in the rear corners of the seat frame indicate the placement of the original rear corner blocks.

Trapezoidal slip-seat frame upholstered in pale blue (now faded to white) silk damask with a central palm-tree pattern; opening on underside covered in burlap.

MarkingsInscribed on rabbet of front seat rail, on inside or rear seat rail, on underside of both side stretchers and medial stretcher: "XI". Written in graphite on inside of proper right side seat rail: "S". Slip-seat: Inscribed on underside of front rail of frame: "IX".

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