19th Century English Colonial Regency Padouk Reeded Leg Side or Desk Chair

A superbly decorative pair of side chairs, exquisitely hand-painted to simulate exotic timber and ornamented with neoclassical festive ribbons and garlands, with Greek key border to ...

An exceptional pair of Regency period chairs, with a well-shaped 'Klismos' outline and unusually generous proportions, attributed to George Oakley of Bond Street. London, circa 1810. Four pairs available: to purchase a set of eight chairs, please select quantity 4 pairs. Priced per pair. Why we like them: With front legs unusually splayed in two dimensions, this design is one of the most sophisticated examples from the Regency period. Unusual in 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 seat rails and front leg joints—a highly unusual feature for chairs—demonstrating superb cabinetmaking skills and suggesting a high-end workshop origin. Attribution: The extremely rare ‘double-splayed’ front legs, derived from ancient Greek Klismos seats, along with exquisite brass inlays, contribute to these chairs' distinctive elegance. This form, along with certain decorative elements, aligns with other pieces traditionally attributed to George Oakley (1773–1840), one of the foremost London cabinetmakers of the period. The scrolling foliage pattern of the inlays on the back tablets of these chairs matches the decoration on a spider-leg sofa table illustrated in F. Collard’s Regency Furniture (Woodbridge, 1987, p. 317) and Mallett’s The Age of Matthew Boulton - Masterpieces of Neo-classicism (London, 2000, pp. 112-113). This table, belonging to a group of furniture firmly attributed to Oakley, likely originates from the same workshop as these chairs. An identically decorated daybed, en suite with these chairs, appears in the same Mallett catalogue (pp. 94-95). A magnificent center table, featuring the same inlays and possibly from the same suite, was sold at Christie’s, New York, 29 January 1994, lot 342. An identical pair of chairs is illustrated in Ronald Phillips’s Fine Antique English Furniture 2018, pp. 158-159. George Oakley: George Oakley’s firm produced stylish Grecian-inspired furniture around the turn of the 19th century, pioneering ‘Buhl’ inlay, a decorative technique that regained popularity in the Regency’s early years. Fashionable materials like rosewood, mahogany, and calamander were often used in Oakley's furniture, combined with satinwood, ebony inlays, brass stars, and metal bands. His high-class furniture earned him a royal appointment and a reputation for fine craftsmanship. Visits by the royal family to Oakley's Bond St. Showrooms are recorded as 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...

A superb quality pair of Regency period library or salon chairs, attributed to Gillows of Lancaster and London. English, circa 1825. Why we like them Quite possibly the most comfor...

A highly unusual Queen Anne style ball-and-claw tripod chair in its original leather upholstery. Unexpectedly generous proportions and heavy weight. Scotland or Ireland, 19th century...

Quality antique regency mahogany desk chair having a quality shaped figured mahogany back with a rope twist turned centre rail, lovely s...

A fine arm chair from the English Regency period in mahogany with a scroll arm. This would be a fantastic arm chair to add a bit of character to a library or to be used as a complime...

A Primitive Desk / Side Chair with a Seat of Stretched Deerskin.

For sale is a Victorian mahogany desk chair, in the Arts & Crafts style, revolving and with four down swept legs terminating on scroll fe...