Michael Berman Set of Eight Grad Klismos Chairs

Chairs with high rectangular backrest. Square section oak legs with a moulding. Upholstered in a fabric with geometric decoration.

An exceptional pair of Regency period chairs, of well-shaped 'Klismos' outline and rare generous proportions, attributed to George Oakley of Bond Street. London, circa 1810. Four pairs available: to purchase a set 8 eight chairs, please, select quantity 4 pairs. Priced per pair. Why we like them: With its front legs unusually splayed in two dimensions, this elegant model is one the most sophisticated examples from the Regency period. Unusual in their form, subtle in ornamentation and outstanding in quality, these chairs display the decorative techniques of cabinetmaking, rather than joinery. The veneers and greek-key brass-inlays cover the seatrails and front legs joints, a highly unusual feature for chairs, that demonstrates the superb cabinetmaking skills of the craftsman or a high-end workshop origin. Attribution: Extremely rare with this 'double-splayed' form of front legs, deriving from the ancient Greek 'Klismos' seats, these chairs feature exquisite brass inlays throughout, and share similarities with a number of pieces of furniture traditionally associated with the oeuvre of George Oakley (1773-1840), one of the most prominent London cabinetmakers of the era. The distinctive scrolling foliage pattern of the inlays on the back tablets of these chairs is identical to those adorning the top of a spider-leg sofa table, illustrated in F. Collard, Regency Furniture, Woodbridge, 1987, p. 317, and in Mallett, The age of Matthew Boulton - Masterpieces of neo-classicism, London, 2000, pp. 112-113. This table belongs to a group of furniture firmly attributed to George Oakley and most likely originates from the same workshop as the present chairs. An identically decorated daybed, en-suite with the present chairs, is illustrated in the same Mallett's catalogue, pp. 94-95. A magnificent centre table, featuring the same set of inlays, certainly from the same workshop and possibly part of the same suite with the present chairs, was sold Christie's, New York, 29 January 1994, lot 342. An identical pair of chairs is illustrated in Ronald Phillips, Fine Antique English Furniture 2018, pp. 158-159. George Oakley: The firm of George Oakley produced stylish furniture in the Grecian taste during the decades spanning the turn of the 19th century, and was one of the pioneers of ‘Buhl’ inlay, a form of decoration that regained popularity during the early years of the Regency. Fashionable materials such as rosewood, mahogany and calamander were often used in Oakley's furniture, combined with inlays of satinwood and ebony, and brass stars and bands of metalwork. The high-class furniture made by George Oakley earned him a royal appointment and a contemporary reputation for fine craftsmanship. Visits by the royal family to Oakley's Bond St Showrooms are recorded in the Morning Chronicle of 1799. In May ‘the ROYAL FAMILY, with the PRINCE and PRINCESS of ORANGE did Mr. OAKLEY the honor of viewing his Printed Furniture...

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These chairs are made to order and can be any number as required but are quoted for here as a set of 12. A design developed by the Greeks in the 5th century BC, gaining popularity throughout the 4th century, the Klismos chair...