18th Century and Earlier Chairs

We are delighted to offer for sale this rare and important suite of twelve original John Gee 1779-1824 Regency bergère Rosewood with brass inlay dining chairs Where to start, these are as rare as they come, an original suite of John Gee chairs and twelve no less! They have rosewood frames, brass inlaid and period bergère seats with later mate removable cushions. I have included a brief history on John Gee below along with some of is later sales and so on Most likely if you are a collector and follower of fine furniture, you would have seen this design many times before, these are the originals, where it all began, the first edition period pieces by one of the great cabinet makers of the late 18th to early 19th century. The craftsmanship is as fine as they come In terms of the condition, they are all structurally sound, the finish is original and they haven’t been professionally restored so far as I can see. There are some small losses which is quite normal to the brass work and some punches to the bergère again consistent with age and use, they are after all, over 200 years old. We have deep cleaned hand condition waxed and hand polished them from top to bottom, I can have them fully, professionally restored for the cost price should the new owner wish, they can be made as gallery perfect as possible X2 Carver dimensions Height:- 84.5cm Width:- 52cm Depth:- 59cm Seat height:- 45cm X10 standard chair dimensions Height:- 84.5cm Width:- 46.5cm Depth:- 53cm Seat height:- 46cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point Gee, John 49, Wardour Street, Soho, London; chair maker and turner (fl.1779–c.1824) Also listed as Gee & Sons (1809) and Gee, Thomas Ayliffe (1804– 09) In about 1779 John Gee replaced Thomas Ayliffe as partner to Benjamin Crompton, who had been Turner in Ordinary to George III since 1762. On 14 October 1787 Gee was sworn in as turner ‘jointly with Thos. Ayliffe his partner’, but his name, unlike Ayliffe's, does not appear in the Court and City Register until 1799. Ayliffe was the fourth member of his family to be a turner to the King, so Gee was probably the junior partner. In 1790 Lord Wilton bought chairs for the Music Room at Heaton Hall, Lancs. ‘2 June 1790 Aycliffe & Gees Bill for chairs etc. £49 8s.’. From 1799, when he is described as ‘Chair-maker, 49 Wardour Street, Soho’, Gee is listed in London directories. In 1803 he is called ‘Chairmaker & Turner to His Majesty’ and this title occurs regularly in entries up to 1823; in most directories, however, this appointment is omitted. Gee is also included in the list of master cabinet makers attached to Sheraton's Cabinet Dictionary, 1803. The last directory listing for Gee is 1823–24. On 8 November 1804 Thomas Ayliffe Gee was appointed Turner in Ordinary to the King jointly with his father and briefly, in one directory of 1809 the firm is listed as ‘Gee & Sons, Turners & chair makers’. John Gee's name is shown in the Court and City Register until 1831, well after his apparent retirement. Charles Holme Bridges, who succeeded Gee at 49 Wardour St in 1824 received a royal warrant in 1822 but is first entered as a turner in the 1832 Register. Gee's productions have been identified through stamped marks: ‘J GEE’, ‘GEE’, l GEE’, ‘Jn. G’ and a crown, J within G, and ‘GEE WARDOUR ST’ have been noted. Certain chairs are stamped with initials: ‘RR’, ‘GL’, ‘GH’, ‘IT’ and ‘WG’ have been noted. These are probably the marks of individual chairmakers in Gee's employ. His seems to have been a substantial undertaking. The following summary list records chairs by Gee in the order of their emergence: Pride's of London, 1962, 6 chairs, painted trophies on green and brown background, stamped ‘J GEE’. Bearne's Sale Rooms, 1964, settee, 2 armchairs, 7 chairs, stamped ‘J GEE’; 8 chairs, brass inlay, stamped ‘J GEE’. Sotheby's, London, 19 June 1970, lot 80, 4 chairs, simulated rosewood, gilt, stamped ‘GEE’ and ‘RR’; Sotheby's, London, 23 October 1970, lot 170, 6 chairs, simulated rosewood and brass inlay, stamped ‘GEE’ and ‘GL’ (some only); Sotheby's, London, 11 June 1971, lot 192, 2 armchairs, ebonised and gilt, stamped ‘GEE’; Christie's, London, 20 January 1972, lot 64, 8 chairs, ebonised, stamped ‘I GEE’ and ‘GH’; Bearnes & Waycotts, 1974(?), armchair, painted. Christie's, London, 31 October 1974, lot 98, 3 chairs, gilt, one branded ‘Jn. G’ twice with crown, the other two branded with crown, and with trade label of Copworth Bros. & Harrison, 22 Old Bond Street, Carpet & Cabinet Manufacturer to Her Majesty; Pride's of London, 1975, 6 chairs, simulated rosewood and brass inlay. Temple Newsam House, Leeds, 1976, 2 armchairs, ebonised and painted, stamped J within G and ‘IT’. Mrs G. M. Douglas, Bath, 1978, 3 chairs, painted green, stamped ‘GEE WARDOUR ST’ and ‘WG’. Sotheby's, London, 14 November 1979, lot 277, 2 chairs, painted with flowers, one stamped ‘GEE’. Private House, Monmouthshire, 1985, 8 chairs, ebonised, all stamped ‘GEE’ and ‘IT’, and 2 settees, en suite, both stamped ‘GEE’ and (?) ‘WP’. SOANE MUSEUM, 4 plain splat back chairs...

Stunning handcrafted chair, dated 1770 with a lion head sculpture.  This rare Renaissance Revival chair is as stabile as the day it was made and the woodwork is in very good to exce...

Armchairs Pair Baroque Swedish 1650-1750 Gray Velvet Sweden. A pair of large armchairs made during the Baroque period in Sweden. Upholstered in a dark grey cotton velvet with brass n...

These are the now very scarce set of two catalogues produced by Christie's for the sale of the contents of Dumfries House which contained a large collec...

A fine, large, late 17th century, Flemish, open armchair in the style of Daniel Marot with an upholstered seat This fine, armchair is an, unusually, large size and the carving is of exceptional quality reflecting the status of the owner it was made for. It is sturdy and in usable condition. Chairs of this type, with tall, intricately carved backs, were placed in rows against a wall forming part of the decoration of a room. The carving of the back of this chair is French in style and was based on decorative prints by Daniël Marot The cresting carved with a profusion of acanthus leaf scrolls. The back with fine, pierced carving. The mid-section with a central flowerhead with scrolled shields above and below ornamented with flowerheads acanthus leaf crestings. Two pairs of carved ‘S’ scrolls ornamented with acanthus leaves either side. The tapering turned sections surmounted by ionic capitals and supporting back of the scroll arms carved with acanthus leaf ornament. The front arms supported by baluster and tapering turned sections ornamented with acanthus leaf carving. The legs joined by a shaped ‘H’ stretcher with central finial, on bun feet. The upholstered seat reupholstered in a bargello woven in tones of blue, green, red and gold faced with braid and brass studwork. The back of the chair has an incredible, 19th century, oak support from the cresting to halfway down the back, which has been beautifully carved to conform with the open sections of the back, and two braces down the length of the back. There are also two oak supports behind seat blocks at the top of the legs. These repairs are sensitive to the model of chair and have become part of its character and features in their own right and they are very interesting from a conservation history perspective. There are two old repairs to a small break in the cresting on the right hand side and the hairline cracks are visible, an old repair to a small break in the top right of the central splat with a small piece added and a visible hairline crack. The right side of the back has noticeable worm damage on the right seat block which is probably the root cause of the break on the block on this side from impact as the chair probably fell backwards at some point and either onto its right side or it hit something on that side and the block weakened by worm gave way as the damage to the chair is localised on the far right side. Because the backs are high on these Daniel Marot chairs they are top heavy and invariably do have damage to the backs and crestings from impact damage so this is not unusual. The right block has been repaired thoroughly and is stable and there is no live worm in the chair. It would be possible to disguise these repairs but I have left them as they are consistent with the 19th century date of the supports and conform with museum standards. A full set of photographs...

Elegant set of Nord-Italian walnut chairs (8) and a pair of armchairs, Covered in ivory color silk in perfect condition. Lombardy Nord Italy, last quarter of the 18th century.

Fine French dining set with six chairs and two armchairs. We can sale to six chairs also separated. The white leather upholstery to change.   

Two chairs with slightly different decors, carved of walnut or walnut and beech. Cf. stylistically: Bauer/Märker/Ohm: European Furniture from Gothic to Art Nouveau, Museum für Kunsth...

A pair of early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Chairs " The Swedish Model." from Skelleftea Vasterbotten, Northern Sweden. Scraped by hand to the original color. Retouches are made...

A simply superb pair of carved George III mahogany chairs, C.1770.   

YOU HAVE THE POSSIBILITY TO BUY A PAIR OR MORE CHAIRS. IMPORTANT : THIS LOUIS XVI CHAIRS ARE NOT A COPIES BUT 100% ORIGINALS !! Exceptional set of Louis XVI lyre chairs in lacquered wood, a prized model and symbol of refinement in the 18th century. While these chairs are unstamped, their details are strongly reminiscent of a production by Jacob: finessed sculpture with sophisticated grooves…these proportions are perfect and light, a touch of exquisite taste. These chairs feature ancient lacquer in two tones (white with blue highlights) The seats have been restored The assembly of these chairs has been checked and remains solid - The original trim on the springs and straps have been preserved and remain in good condition. The chairs stayed in the same family and the laque is in it original vintage statement and has been very good preserved. These chairs are covered with a luxurious silk a blue gray and silver combination that perfectly matches the original lacquer from Maison Tassinari and Chatel...

A magnificent set of four gilt Louis XVI chairs, comprising of two armchairs and two side chairs, circa 1780. Of exceptional quality these chairs are hand-carved and finished in gil...

Pair of chairs made by master craftsman Johan Erik Hoglander in Stockholm (1750-1813). Considered to be one of Sweden's best chair makers during t...

We are delighted to offer for sale this absolutely sublime mid-18th century circa 1760 solid Yew wood Windsor stick back armchair If you are looking at this listing then the chanc...

Fine antique 18th century Gustavian chair in great original condition. This type of chair is called the Swedish model. This particular ex...

- Characterful open armchair injecting atmosphere into any interior - Pared down form with a contemporary feel - Tactile with original patina and thick modern leather. - Character...

We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare small circa 1760 Fruitwood hand carved side chair A good looking and well-made piece, the timber patina is to die for, you only g...

A very attractive pair of 18th century Dutch mahogany side chairs. With an elegant and shapely form with a delicate carved ribbon knot on top. Retaining their original, beautifully f...

Beautiful 17th century (1650-1680) Sgabello. The countries where this could originate are located in and around the Alps. So Switzerland, Austria, Southern Germany, and Northern Ita...

This is a deluxe edition in two volumes which does justice to the splendour of this incomparable collection. This collection has never before been the subject of such an important wo...

Folk Art rustic Kubbstol from northern Sweden. A Kubbstol is a chair made of a single piece of wood that's been hewn out to form the seat, back and frame. It's a primitive constructi...

Set of 6 mahogany Charles X chairs.

Beautiful and very rare Italian antique chair from the 1500s. In finely crafted walnut wood, red velvet and bangs, the antique chair is in its o...

Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. First view of the chair is in the sales catalog from 1867. Newly reupholstered and finished with shellac.

Set of six dining chairs, model 'Rungstedlund' PJ 34 by Ole Wanscher for P. Jeppesen, St. Heddinge, mahogany, blue upholstery, Denmark, 1960s. This classic set of six dining chair...

An early-18th century walnut wing armchair. George I period, ca 1715. This fine English walnut wingback chair is raised on well-drawn carved cabriole legs. With a lovely kick on the back legs. Remarkably, after some 300 years, it still retains its original gros-point needlework upholstery in vibrant colors. Of superb proportions, color, figuring and patination. Measures: H 106 cm (42'') D 68 cm (27''). W 87.5 cm (34 1/2''). Literature: Herbert Cescinsky 'English Furniture Of The Eighteenth Century', George Routledge & Sons (1911) vol. I, p. 81, fig. 105. ''A walnut easy chair'' dated 1710. Nb. A slightly earlier antique walnut and beech wing armchair with contemporary needlework, circa 1710, sold in Christies, Lot 164, October 2015 @ £48,350 -The Property of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sothebys sold a George II needlework...

Pareja de sillones fraileros del S XVIII con tapicería posterior antigua. España.

A fine set of Nord-Italian walnut chairs (8) and a pair of armchairs, Covered in ivory color silk in perfect condition. Lombardy Nord Italy, last quarter of the 18th century.

Antique group of 4 German Biedermeier chairs from circa 1840. Each 2 pieces, in different design of fruit wood (cherry wood or pear wood) made...

A fine set of six Italian, 18th century green-painted and parcel-gilt chairs.

Set of very unusual 18th century chairs It's a set of four chairs, all with different paintings of the Greek mythology. Bourgogne (France) cherrywood, oil colors Directoire,...

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning George II circa 1760 oak carver chair with period repairs A very good looking and well made chair...

We are delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning circa 1780 Primate French milking or children’s chair in burr chestnut What a stunning ...

Great Chippendale chair with beautifully executed curves in finely grained mahogany. The Chippendale style was part of the English answer on French Rococo and incorporated oriental, ...

Carved walnut, caned back and seat. Zebra pattern fabric cushions (Lelièvre France). Fine natural patina, 18th century period.

This is a very beautiful pair of elegant dining chairs hand carved in solid oak. Their shapes are gorgeous and the proportions makes them an important presence in a dining room. Dee...

An exceptional example of an early George I / George II Gainsborough mahogany chair upholstered in a period 18th century needlework of rich colo...

This set of 5 beautiful chairs in the Gustavian style come in an elegant black paint. The slightly curved legs as well as the seating frame and backrest feature sophisticated wood ca...

This is a very beautiful set of six elegant dining chairs hand carved in solid oak. Their shapes are gorgeous and the proportion makes them an important presence in a dining room. D...

Fine pair of Gustavian dining chairs, retaining their original paint.  

The quality of these exhuberant backstools demonstrate why Italian Renaissance furniture was as highly prized as old-master paintings. Th...

A fine set of Nord-Italian walnut chairs (8) and a pair of armchairs, Covered in ivory color silk in perfect condition. Lombardy Nord Italy, last quarter of the 18th century.

18th century French bergere in cane and hand carved wood, backrest and armrests with detailed ornamentation. Original cane is damaged and ...

Pair of baroque chairs made of solid oak with openwork backrests with an upholstered centre bar and carved vegetable décor with shell ornament on the curved frame. The chairs are covered with blue velvet. Shown in: Eller, Möbel des Klassizismus, Louis XVI and Empire, Munich 2002, p 204:301; and W. Schwarze, Antike deutsche Möbel...

Italian 18th century country rustic robust armchair in chestnut wood hand cut, restored and polished with shellac and wax. Straw seat in excellent condition Measures cm: H 102\48 x ...

A rare pair of late-Renaissance, Italian, upholstered, walnut, throne, open, armchairs or coppia di seggioloni, retaining their original armorials These throne armchairs are charact...

18th century Peruvian "frailero" wooden chair with stretched leather seat and back.

A fine pair of Chippendale period mahogany side chairs having attractive carved decoration to well-figured pierced splat backs above unusual bowed seats raised on square chamfere...

Set of 2 Books Laques Venitiennes du Dix-Huitieme Siecle" by Saul Levy. This is a scholarly and lavishly illustrated account of Venetian 18th century lacquer furniture published in 1968 in two volumes, with 496 color illustrations - text is in French. Both volumes have their original dust jackets. Volume 1 includes an introduction of 26 pages and plates showing: armchairs, sofas, seats and benches...

We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of original 18th-century hand carved from solid Fruitwood high back occasional chairs A good looking and well-made pair, the fr...

A rare, matched pair of ebonised armchairs from The Baroque & Baroque-Revival Periods & An Antiquarian, Baroque stool - From a private, furniture collection, acquired to represent three different periods of European manufacture & collecting of ebonised furniture...

These beautiful French Jacob dining chairs resemble the Louis XVI Style. The chairs are made in France from black lacquered beech with an antique finish. We've upholstered the chairs...

Large and very elegant and well-made pair of Chinese armchairs from the late 1800s. The pair of armchairs is in curved wood. The backrest is curved and is paneled with friezes depict...

This pair of "Model 830" armchairs was designed by Gianfranco Frattini for the Italian company Cassina in the 1950s. Both pieces are upholstered in dark green fabric and are supporte...

This beautiful set of four late 18th-early 19th century European Directoire period mahogany gondola chairs will be the perfect addition to your dining room or living room as they can...

A pair of Louis XVI period chairs in their original decoration. Reupholstered. Its square stipe legs are very rare.

Fine 18th century Swedish transitional Rococo & Gustavian chair with royal proportions, circa 1775 Stockholm, Sweden. The two styles merge together finely with the Rococo curvy back ...

Spanish carved walnut armchair, late 17th century. Carlos II period.