A George II Walnut Library Armchair attributed to Paul Saunders

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A George II Walnut Library Armchair attributed to Paul Saunders

About the Item

Originally made to be placed in a large drawing room or gallery, this chair is of a design described in contemporary pattern books such as the Director of Thomas Chippendale and Mayhew and Ince's Universal System as 'French Chairs'. It is part of a group of similarly conceived chairs with closely related cabochon-carved and foliate and C-scroll-ornamented frames with acanthus-wrapped scrolled toes and, in particular, fluted legs and arm supports. A similar chair, lacking the carved seat rails, is in the collection at Petworth House, Sussex, and a suite of six arm chairs and two sofas, which was originally commissioned from an unknown maker by Peregrine Bertie, 3υrd Duke of Ancaster for Grimsthorpe Castle, Lincolnshire, more ambitious in their design, but with similarly fluted legs and related carved detail (See: Yvonne Hackenbroch, English Furniture - The Irwin Untermyer Collection, 1958, pl. 116, fig. 143). Although lacking the carved flutes and with differences to the carved detail, a remarkably similar armchair, part of a suite which includes '10 Elbow chairs' and '2 large sophas ditto' is at Holkham, Norfolk (See: Anthony Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, 1968, p. 211, fig. 378.). This was originally commissioned by Thomas Coke, Ist Earl of Leicester from Paul Saunders in 1757 and its similarity to the present lot allows an attribution to be made to the same maker. Although not fully identified as yet in the Holkam accounts, a set of nine single chairs in the same collection has also been attributed to him due to the similarities of the carving and the fluted detail on the legs as in the present example (Coleridge, op. cit., fig. 379). Paul Saunders (b.1722-d.1771) was a noted upholsterer supplying major London and country house clients in the 1750s and 1760s, his early commissions including Holderness House, London, Petworth House, Sussex and Stowe, Buckinghamshire. He was first apprenticed to the upholsterer Michael Bradshaw in 1738 who was probably related to William and George Smith Bradshaw with whom he became partner after 1750. This partnership was dissolved in 1756, Saunders retaining the part of the workshop situated in Sutton Street near Soho Square. In 1757 he was appointed 'Tapestry Maker to the King' receiving in 1761 the additional position of as 'Yeoman Tapestry Taylor' in the Great Wardrobe, retaining both positions until his death in 1771. See: Thomas Hamilton Ormsbee, Prime Antiques and Their Current Prices, 1947, p. 126, Parke-Bernet, no. 57, from Cecil Partridge, London, one similar armchair. The Eleventh Antique Dealer's Fair and Exhibition, Grosvenor House, London, June 6 - 21, 1951, exhibited by Hotspur Ltd., London, Stand 62, Catalogue p. 53, one similar armchair. Margaret Jourdain and F. Rose, English Furniture The Georgian Period (1750-1830), 1953, p. 82, fig 44, one similar armchair of a set of five at Petworth House, Sussex. Margaret Macdonald-Taylor, English Furniture, 1965, p. 106, a closely related chair, the upholstered back with a shaped carved crest-rail and sides. Anthony Coleridge, Chippendale Furniture, 1968, fig. 184, the property of W. Waddingham, one similar armchair. Christie's, London November 27, 2003, lot 100, a Pair of Mahogany and Parcel-Gilt Open Armchairs, from the Collection of the late Mrs. Barbara Campbell Golding, and possibly from a suite of eight armchairs and two sofas with Phillips of Hitchin in 1948. A George II armchair, which was offered at Sotheby's, London, November 18, 2008, lot 328 is almost certainly the George II chair that sold Christie's, London, 28 May 1964, Fine English Furniture, lot 105 (without provenance) and is nearly identical to this chair.
Ex collection: Cynthia Phipps

Materials and Techniques:
Walnut
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
c. 1755
Condition:
One rail replaced and once with casters as stated, plus: Good restored antique condition overall, small loss to one side of carved foliate scroll at top of crestrail, and an old neat repair to crestrail. Minor nicks and scuffs of age and use to frame; has nice quality suede upholstery with a few scuffs. Sturdy and usable overall.
Seller Location:
New York, NY
Reference Number:
1stDibs: 101026888993