English 19th Century Regency Mahogany Library Steps Ladder Metamorphic Armchair

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English 19th Century Regency Mahogany Library Steps Ladder Metamorphic Armchair

Price:$3,734.63

$4,979.50List Price

About the Item

Cane seat and arched back for plenty of comfort, four steps covered with ocher yellow leather inserts turn this stable and sturdy solid 19th century mahogany armchair into a library ladder. This Regency style metamorphic chair constructed in the manner of Morgan & Sanders cabinet maker is a dual-use piece of furniture. The armchair features shaped tablet toprail above elegant scrolled arms raised on saber legs with a large generous Vienna straw seat hinged to form library steps when folding forward. Fancy and extremely useful multipurpose seat and four leather covered steps ladder to help the user reach the higher library shelves. With its charming versatility and lovely wood patina, this antique metamorphic English ladder armchair will be a great choice to decorate any house, used in a kitchen, office, library or parlour. Classic shaped, curved seat back, comfortable caned seat and wide arms, this chair can be used functionally for your relaxing reading moments or for display purposes, it’s a great addition to any quirky home and interior space. Perfect structural condition both of solid wood and cane. Seat and backrest are firm stable and sturdy, desirable original patina and charming aging wears throughout compatible with age and use. The English mahogany metamorphic chair now in our collection is nearly identical to the original Morgan & Saunders one that is part of old library furnishings at the Trinity College – Oxford University and to the armchairs in the Library at Saltram, Devon. Measures: H. 87, W.53, D. 54 cm, seat height 45 cm (fold) H. 72cm, W. 91, D. 54cm, lower step height 15cm (unfold as ladder) Tables, chairs and stools containing Library Steps were patented in Great Britain by Robert Campbell in 1774 but the chair-based design did not become popular until the second decade of the 19th century. Metamorphic furniture’s designs - in which the piece appears to have a single function but converts to another appearance and use with elegant ease - became more fascinating to the public and sought after as the techniques became more refined with the alternative function of the piece more cleverly concealed thanks to the use of specialized hardware to easily collapsed and transported Despite the appeal of the Regency period Metamorphic Library Chair, there is limited information available on the development of the design or the firms that made them. Most design references are based on two outline sketches. The first, by Rudolph Ackermann in 1811, illustrates a Morgan & Sanders chair and the second shows a chair made by Gillows in 1834.

Similar to:
Morgan & Sanders (Cabinetmaker)
Dimensions:
Height: 34.26 in (87 cm)Width: 20.87 in (53 cm)Depth: 21.26 in (54 cm)Seat Height: 16.93 in (43 cm)
Style:
Regency (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Cane,Mahogany,Metal,Straw,Wood,Hand-Carved,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
Late 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Late 19th Century
Condition:
Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Firenze, IT
Reference Number:
Seller: Galleria Antonio Esposito di Chiara Esposito1stDibs: LU950321273682

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