Peacock's Finest Seating

Set of Six Late 18th Century George III period dining chairs with caned seats, attributable to Gillows. England,...

A pair of Regency period Gonçalo Alves side chairs with caned seats, in the manner of Gillows of Lancaster and L...

A highly unusual Queen Anne style ball-and-claw tripod chair in its original leather upholstery. Unexpectedly ge...

A rare and elegant cream and green painted armchair of George III period, attributable to Gillows of Lancaster a...

A very elegant and rare 19th century Adam style armchair or desk chair of very generous proportions, newly recov...

A very fine and elegant Regency period set of SIX 'Klismos' side chairs after designs by Thomas Hope, the manufacture attributed to Gillows. England, circa 1810. Why we like them These superb quality, wonderfully stylish Klismos chairs correspond to a design published in Thomas Hope's ‘A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration' (1807), visible on the view of the Picture Gallery at the designer's own Duchess Street mansion in London. A particularly fine and rare design, very comfortable and of great scale and proportions, these super smart chairs...

A very rare 'curule' settee, late 19th century after a design by Jean-Joseph Chapuis. Provenance: Madeleine Castaing, Maison de Lèves, Chartres, France. Why we like it Besides the iconic provenance, this bench is a great example of the 19th century design, informed by classical antiquity. Decorated in the exotic 'Etruscan' style to simulate patinated bronze, with its dramatically exaggerated curves, evoking the ancient Roman 'sella curulis' - a symbol of magisterial power, this settee is truly a special example of its kind. A squab cushion covered in a fabric complimenting other textiles in the existing interior will complete the look of this super-stylish bench. Provenance – Madeleine Castaing Together with a pair of armchairs en-suite (sold by us in may 2022), this settee was photographed in the vestibule at Maison de Lèves near Chartres - country house of the iconic French interior designer and antiques dealer Madeleine Castaing (1894–1992). Madeleine married the heir and art critic Marcellin Castaing – the legendary love of her life – who in the 1920's acquired a neoclassical gentilhommière at Lèves, that she had been admiring since her days in a convent school nearby, for her to "unwind" as he explained. The house would become one of her masterpieces as she discovered her own vocation for interior design. Extant photographs reveal a number of changes that had been made to the interiors over time. The writer Maurice Sachs once wrote about Madeleine's passion for her home: “The constant transformations she made to the estate kept her as busy as the world can keep a socialite…”. The contents of Maison de Lèves as well as Castaing's Rue Jacob...

A superb quality pair of open armchairs, after late 18th century designs by Gillows of Lancaster and London, the manufacture attributable to Gillow & Co. English, circa 1880. Why we like them Wonderfully elegant model, looking very delicate but in fact unusually strong – the sign of a skilled craftsman. Interestingly, chairs of this exact model can be seen in a painting by Walter Dendy Sadler (British, 1854-1923), The After Lunch Conversation, 1889, sold at Doyle, New York, 21 May 2024, lot 83. Design These chairs correspond to Gillows’ 'Garforth pattern' - a rare and highly desirable design - which first appeared in 1795 and was probably an adaptation of Georges Jacob's design of circa 1792 for Marie-Antoinette's dairy at Rambouillet. Gillows made the chairs not only in mahogany but also japanned, and they appear to have been particularly popular among the genteel, professional, and merchant classes in the north of England. In 1796, the Earl of Strafford purchased six white and green japanned chairs for Wentworth Woodhouse...

A very fine and elegant pair of 'Klismos' hall chairs of the early Regency period. England, circa 1810. A rare a...

An extremely rare and elegant cream and green painted armchair of George III period, attributable to the renown ...

An extremely elegant and rare, superb quality set of six George III period ...

An elegant pair of painted open armchairs from the early 19th century English Regency era, exquisitely hand-pain...

An extremely elegant, rare quality pair of George III period armchairs. English, circa 1780. Why we like them ...

A rare design slipper chair of compact proportions, covered in well-aged, possibly original buttoned leather. A ...

A fine pair of hall chairs of the Regency period, attributed to Thomas Banting and William France. England, circa 1820. Why we like them These fine hall chairs have a particularly elegant and sophisticated scrolled cartouche design of the backs, with the finest carving and figuring of the timber. Also of great colour and natural patination, these chairs are highly decorative and rare. Attribution The design of these chairs is identical to a set of hall chairs...

An rare late George III – early Regency period painted elbow chair, carved in the Chinoiserie fashion to simulat...

An extremely elegant, superb quality set of six George III period mahogany dining chairs. A pair of matching ar...

A very elegant mid-18th century George III Chippendale-period armchair, or desk chair of wide proportions and a ...

A very rare, superb quality early 19th century, Regency period slipper chair, or cocktail chair; very smart and ...

A superb quality pair of Regency period library or salon chairs, attributed to Gillows of Lancaster and London. ...

A pair of Regency style 'Klismos' stools or benches, upholstered in beautiful horsehair fabric. It is rare to ha...

A pair of unusual early Georgian period walnut hall chairs of 'ladderback' design. English, circa 1740. Why we ...

A rare and unusual George III period painted hall chair of large proportions, England, circa 1780. Why we like ...

An exceptionally rare, elegant, and superb quality set of eight George III period dining chairs. English, circa ...

A fine French late 18th century Klismos bench, of great colour and desirable generous proportions. Stamped G.Jacob. France, circa 1795. Why we like it A handsome, timeless design. With its curved sabre legs at either end, this bench relates to the ancient Greek 'Klismos' seats, often seen depicted on Attic pottery. Its superb quality, splendid patination and a recorded maker...

A superbly decorative pair of side chairs, exquisitely hand-painted to simulate exotic timber and ornamented wit...