Antique chairs and seating
Of all the many different antiques in the world, none has taken more wear and tear than the chair. It is indeed a tribute to the craftsmanship, materials and knowledge of the chairmakers that so many chairs have survived from our speciality of 200 years, and some examples are now over 350 years old. Whether we are showing dining chairs, library chairs, reading chairs, step chairs, salon chairs, wing chairs or settees, it is remarkable that so many have survived so well, and each could tell a story if only they could talk! All of the great furniture designers from Kent and Chippendale to Adam, Hepplewhite, Sheraton, Hope and Smith have sketched chairs. At Harvey's we have been fortunate to have handled many examples taken from these designs, and executed by firms as diverse as Gillows of Lancaster and Morgan and Sanders. Some are even exquisitely crafted examples of metamorphic furniture.
A Chippendale Period Mahogany Child's High Chair and Table
No: 400C
A very good George III period Mahogany Child's High Chair on Table complete with restraining bar and adjustable footrest.
Circa 1760
H: 36" (91 cms) W: 19" (48 cms) D: 16" (40 cms)
Price: £2,650 / US$ 4,134 / € 3,101
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Chippendale period Carved Mahogany Armchair
No: 400R
A good Chippendale Period Mahogany Elbow Chair, the delicately carved interlaced back splat flanked by outswept arms and the whole raised on square moulded legs.
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Circa 1770
H: 40" (101 cms) W: 25" (63 cms) D: 22" (55 cms)
Price: £1,350 / US$ 2,106 / € 1,580
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Fabulous George III Mahogany and Decorated Four Poster Bed by Gillows Ca. 1780
No: 400E
No: 400E A fine and rare George III Period Carved Mahogany and Decorated Four Poster Bed, the cornice with a delicately painted central floral swag to the end flanked by foliate scrolls, the side pieces with foliate scrolls and central floral swags, the reeded posts with stylised carved acanthus capitals and leaf with ribbon carved urn bases, the posts with brass bolt covers.
Attribution: Probably by Gillows of Lancaster,
See, Mere Hall sale catalogue, 23rd. May 1994, Christie's lot 127 and Cowdray Park Sale, September 13-15,2011.Christie's lot 630.
Lit: Susan Stuart, Gillows of Lancaster and London, 1730-1840, Vol. I, pages 340 - 356.
Lindsay Boynton, Gillow Furniture Designs, 1760-1800, Plates 105 & 106 & Colour Plates: 16 & 17.
Provenance: Lady Dunphie, Roundhill Grange, Charlton Musgrove. The four poster bed was part of the estate of the late Lady Dunphie a direct descendant of Sir Richard Arkwright, a key figure of the Industrial Revolution who is often credited with being the creator of the modern factory system. Arkwright was knighted in 1786 and served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire. In 1788 he purchased an estate from Florence Nightingale's father, William, for £20,000 and set about building Willersley Castle for himself and his family. Sir Richard died in 1792 before the building was completed. Willersley Castle was later completed and occupied by his son Richard.
The wealth of Richard Arkwright Junior was much higher than that of his father which was not only due to the textile industry. Initially developing the factory system further he later sold a number of factories and reinvested the money into real estate and banks. When he died he was estimated to be the richest man in the country.
The Arkwright family continued to occupy Willersley Castle until the estate was bought in 1927 by a group of Methodist businessmen, Much of the House contents were sold at auction at this time and the Knight Franks contents sale lists a number of similar beds:
Lot 238 A Hepplewhite mahogany four-post canopy bed, with fluted and leaf carved columns…
Lot 390 A Hepplewhite four-post mahogany bed, with fluted columns carved wheat ears and painted canopy..
Circa 1780
H: 98½" (250 cms) W: 72" (182 cms) D: 84" (213 cms)
Price: £30,000 / US$ 46,800 / € 35,100
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Set of four Hepplewhite Period Mahogany Salon Armchairs
No: 9362
An important set of 4 Hepplewhite Period Mahogany Salon Armchairs. The cartouche shaped carved backs with wavy carved uprights flanked by carved shaped scrolling arms and raised on extremely fine carved cabriole legs.
N.B One from this set of Armchairs is illustrated in "Going for a Song: English Furniture Arthur Negus talks to Max Robertson".Pp 72/73, Illus 23. BBC publications, 1969.
We first acquired this spectacular set of four Salon Armchairs back in the mid 1980s from a Swiss family who had been living in London and buying fine pieces for many years. They acquired the chairs from Messrs Apter-Fredericks in the Fulham Road during the 70s and when they moved back to Switzerland some of their acquisitions stayed behind.
We sold them very quickly to an Interior Designer who has recently offered them back to us. When they arrived back, the original covering from when Apter-Fredericks had them was still on there and was wearing a little thin so we have just had them re-covered. They have come up a treat and look better now than when we first had them some 30 years ago.
Circa 1785
H: 37" (93 cms) W: 26" (66 cms) D: 24½" (62 cms)
Price: £25,000 / US$ 39,000 / € 29,250
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Mahogany Valise Stand
No: HB 28
A George III Period Mahogany Bed Foot Stand in the manner of Gillows of Lancaster
Circa 1800
H: 20" (50 cms) W: 43" (109 cms) D: 19" (48 cms)
Price: £2,700 / US$ 4,212 / € 3,159
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Set of six Regency Period Simulated Rosewood and Applied Brass dining chairs
No: 397V
A very stylish set of six Regency Period Simulated Rosewood and Applied Brass dining chairs with rope twist motifs to the top rails and uprights, the centre splats with brass mounts flanked by foliage and the whole raised on sabred legs.
Circa 1810
H: 33" (83 cms) W: 18" (45 cms) D: 21" (53 cms)
Price: £4,000 / US$ 6,240 / € 4,680
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Regency Mahogany Library Bergere
No: 10160
A particularly good Regency Period Mahogany Framed Library Bergere Armchair, the caned seat and back both with deep buttoned leather cushions flanked by downswept arms supported on ring turned tapered columns and corresponding legs terminating in brass cups and casters.
Circa 1810
H: 40" (101 cms) W: 26" (66 cms) D: 32" (81 cms)
Price: £4,750 / US$ 7,410 / € 5,558
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Early 19th. Century Elm and Ash Shield Back Windsor Armchair
No: 10310
A very pretty early 19th. Century Elm and Ash Windsor Armchair with open fret centre splat with a rare shield shape to the centre, outswept arms and raised on turned legs united by turned stretchers.
Circa 1810
H: 35" (88 cms) W: 20½" (52 cms) D: 19" (48 cms)
Price: £500 / US$ 780 / € 585
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Regency Mahogany Side Chair
No: 387H
A Regency period Mahogany Single Side Chair, the bar back with carved detail and the centre splat with three balls between bars, the whole raised on turned front legs. This is ideal as a desk chair or by a dressing table.
Circa 1820
H: 33" (83 cms) W: 19" (48 cms) D: 21" (53 cms)
Price: £575 / US$ 897 / € 673
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Regency Rosewood Cradle on Stand
No: 400F
A pretty Regency Rosewood Child's Cradle, the headboard with a reeded frame surmounted with a carved rose flower filled basket, the sides with turned spindles and the whole raised on end supports with slipper feet.
Provenance: Lady Dunphie, Roundhill Grange, Charlton Musgrove. The Cradle was part of the estate of the late Lady Dunphie a direct descendant of Sir Richard Arkwright, a key figure of the Industrial Revolution who is often credited with being the creator of the modern factory system. Arkwright was knighted in 1786 and served as High Sheriff of Derbyshire. In 1788 he purchased an estate from Florence Nightingale's father, William, for £20,000 and set about building Willersley Castle for himself and his family. Sir Richard died in 1792 before the building was completed. Willersley Castle was later completed and occupied by his son Richard
Note: The rose flower filled carved basket is significant as Rose is a long standing family name in the Arkwright Family.
Circa 1820
H: 53½" (135 cms) W: 43" (109 cms) D: 21" (53 cms)
Price: £2,950 / US$ 4,602 / € 3,452
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A Wonderful William IV Child's Library Bergere High Chair on Table
No: 399Y
A charming William IV Period Mahogany Child's Chair on Table, the rounded bergere type chair with a retaining bar and adjustable footrest raised on turned front legs and sabred back legs united by a turned cross stretcher having a bolt to secure it to the table for use as a high chair, the table with conforming legs
Circa 1835
H: 38" (96 cms) W: 16" (40 cms) D: 17" (43 cms)
Price: £2,250 / US$ 3,510 / € 2,633
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Pair of Black and Gilt Chairs by Holland and Sons
No: 9863
An unusual pair of mid 19th. Century Black and Gilt decorated chairs by HOLLAND & SONS, the upholstered backs with hand scoops to the rear, the carved front legs terminating in brass cups and casters stamped W.HOPKINS & SON, PATENT, the rear sabred legs with side corner brackets stamped with the Chairmakers name C. CULYER , as well as HOLLAND & SONS and bearing stamps for the MOD as well. Culyer worked on the Dorchester House chairs supplied to Sir Robert Staynor Holford by Holland & Sons in 1856-58.
Holland and Sons of London rose from their origins in the early 19th. Century to become by the middle years of the century a rival to Gillows of Lancaster and one of the greatest of English furniture makers. Recorded as early as 1815 as Taprell and Holland, by 1843 under the auspices of William Holland, a relative of the famous Regency architect Henry Holland, they joined with Thomas Dowbiggin of 23 Mount Street who had made the state throne for Queen Victoria's coronation. They were also successful undertakers and were responsible for the Duke of Wellington's funeral. Under William Holland they became cabinetmakers and upholsterers to the Queen, their first commission being for Osborne House in 1845. They received the Royal Warrant in 1846 and continued to supply furniture for Osborne until 1869 gaining further commissions for Windsor Castle, Balmoral and Marlborough House.
Hollands also worked for other leading institutions including the Reform and Athanaeum clubs, the British Museum and the Royal Academy.
Along with Gillows, they shared the commission for the new Houses of Parliament. There are several pieces of seating furniture still at Westminster supplied by Holland & Sons and stamped W.Bryson. They participated in many of the important International Exhibitions and indeed their prize winning chimney-piece and bookcase in Cinquecento taste exhibited in the 1851 Great Exhibition was still at Flintham Hall in Nottingham as recently as 1977. They also showed in 1862 in London again, Vienna in 1873 and Paris in both 1867 and 1872. The Hollands day books are now housed in the National Archive of Art and Design in London.
Lit: See: Christie's Sale, 4th. October 2001 lot 24 and Sotheby's Sale Friday 15th. November 1996 Lot 114. See also research commissioned by W.R.Harvey & Co. (Antiques) Ltd 2002 to 2004 and executed by Christina Anderson. See also "Furniture History" The Annual Journal of The Furniture History Society, Volume XLI for 2005, Pages 217 -230 " W.Bryson and the firm of Holland & Sons"
Circa 1860
H: 35½" (90 cms) W: 22" (55 cms) D: 23" (58 cms)
Price: £5,750 / US$ 8,970 / € 6,728
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