Armchair
Furniture MakerMade by
The Hitchcock Chair Co., Ltd.
(American, 1947 - 2006)
Date1970-1990
MediumWood, rush, black, red and gold paint
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 33 15/16 x 22 1/8 x 18 15/16in. (86.2 x 56.2 x 48.1cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineConnecticut Museum of Culture and History collection
Object number2006.32.1
DescriptionReproduction painted armchair in the Empire, or late neoclassical style, with a roll top, turned front legs, arm supports, and stretchers, and a trapezoidal rush seat. The back of the chair is formed by a turned, roll-top crest rail atop two stiles. The crest rail consists of a center section that has a front and back rectangular surface that curves to meet at the top and bottom edges; this is flanked by a series of ring turnings. Below the crest rail are two horizontal slats between the stiles; the top slat is taller, while the lower slat is slender and rectangular. The crest rail and slats are bowed back slightly in the center. Above the seat, each stile is curved back and has flat front and side surfaces over a band of four turned rings just above the seat. Below the seat, each stile forms a cylindrical back leg over a tapered foot. Each arm is bowed down slightly in the center then has a scrolled handhold at the front. The front of each arm is supported by a baluster-turned arm support that extends down past the side seat rail. Each front leg has a block on top that supports the front corners of the trapezoidal rush seat. The rush seat sits just inside four seat rail facings that cover all four sides of the rush. The side seat rail facings are each bowed down in the center and have a scrolled front that correspond to the semi-circular scroll of the front seat rail facing. Each front leg is straight, but raked, or slanted, slightly out from top to bottom. Each front leg is turned with eighteen rings over a tapered ankle and small ball foot. The front of the chair has a single stretcher turned with ring and tapered forms that connects the two front legs. Each side of the chair has two plain, turned stretchers. The back of the chair has a single plain, turned stretcher.
Painted Decoration. The chair frame is painted black with fine streaks of red to imitate graining, and gold stenciled decoration on the crest rail, slat, stiles, and front seat rail facing. The crest rail has an abstract stenciled design of an oval sunburst. The slat has a gold stenciled design of fruit, including grapes, slanked by leaves and a geometric border. The upper front of each stile has a gold stenciled decoration of a downward pointing arrow. The front seat rail facing has an abstract design of flowers and leaves. A thin gold or yellow line outlines the crest rail, front of the upper stiles, the lower slat, the top of the arms and the front seat rail facing. Gold bands circle some of the turned rings on the stiles, front seat rail facing, legs and front stretcher.
Condition: The black paint is worn and scratched on the back of the crest rail, the tops of the arms and handholds, the edges of the front seat rail, the lower front legs and the front stretcher.
Design and Construction Details: The crest rail is joined to each stile with a lap joint at the top back of the stile and crest rail; this joint is secured with a screw through the back that is concealed with filler or a wooden plug. Each slat is tenoned into the upper stiles. There are two screws, concealed with a wooden plug, through the joint where the upper slat meets the stiles. The back of each arm is screwed into the stiles; the screw is concealed with a wooden plug. The front of each arm is supported on a tenon at the top of the arm support. The arm support is screwed into the side of the side seat rail, but also extends down below the seat rail. A slender stretcher is tenoned into the bottom of each arm support. The seat is constructed of four hidden seat rails that are tenoned into the stiles at the back and into a block at each front corner of the seat. The blocks at the front of the seat are supported on a tenon at the top of the front legs. The rush is woven around this frame. The seat rail facings are nailed in place over the hidden seat rails on all four sides of the seat. The stretchers are tenoned into the legs.
Painted Decoration. The chair frame is painted black with fine streaks of red to imitate graining, and gold stenciled decoration on the crest rail, slat, stiles, and front seat rail facing. The crest rail has an abstract stenciled design of an oval sunburst. The slat has a gold stenciled design of fruit, including grapes, slanked by leaves and a geometric border. The upper front of each stile has a gold stenciled decoration of a downward pointing arrow. The front seat rail facing has an abstract design of flowers and leaves. A thin gold or yellow line outlines the crest rail, front of the upper stiles, the lower slat, the top of the arms and the front seat rail facing. Gold bands circle some of the turned rings on the stiles, front seat rail facing, legs and front stretcher.
Condition: The black paint is worn and scratched on the back of the crest rail, the tops of the arms and handholds, the edges of the front seat rail, the lower front legs and the front stretcher.
Design and Construction Details: The crest rail is joined to each stile with a lap joint at the top back of the stile and crest rail; this joint is secured with a screw through the back that is concealed with filler or a wooden plug. Each slat is tenoned into the upper stiles. There are two screws, concealed with a wooden plug, through the joint where the upper slat meets the stiles. The back of each arm is screwed into the stiles; the screw is concealed with a wooden plug. The front of each arm is supported on a tenon at the top of the arm support. The arm support is screwed into the side of the side seat rail, but also extends down below the seat rail. A slender stretcher is tenoned into the bottom of each arm support. The seat is constructed of four hidden seat rails that are tenoned into the stiles at the back and into a block at each front corner of the seat. The blocks at the front of the seat are supported on a tenon at the top of the front legs. The rush is woven around this frame. The seat rail facings are nailed in place over the hidden seat rails on all four sides of the seat. The stretchers are tenoned into the legs.
Status
Not on view
