Armchair
Furniture MakerProbably made in the shop of
Aaron Chapin
(American, 1753 - 1838)
Original OwnerPossibly originally owned by
Captain John Lawrence
(American, 1719 - 1802)
Original OwnerPossibly originally owned by
William Lawrence
(American, 1751 - 1821)
Date1785-1800
MediumCherry, pine, orange moreen wool
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 38 7/8 x 28 1/8 x 20 7/8in. (98.7 x 71.4 x 53cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of Mary E. Hastings
Object number1922.6.3
DescriptionCherry armchair in the Federal, or early neoclassical, style, with a flat crest rail, five straight banisters, straight front legs, and a removable slip seat. The back of the chair is formed by a straight crest rail atop two stiles; the stiles are raked, or angled, together slightly from top to bottom. Five vertical banisters are evenly spaced below the crest rail; the banisters are also raked together slightly from top to bottom. Above the seat, each stile is slanted backwards. Below the seat, each stile forms a leg that slants toward the center back of the chair. Each arm undulates, with a flat handhold that extends past the side seat rails. The arm is supported by a curved arm support that extends down to the side of the front leg. The seat is trapezoidal, with a removable slip seat upholstered with orange moreen wool. The slip seat sits just inside the four seat rails at the top of the legs. The straight front legs extend from the height of the seat down to a plain foot. The back and sides of the chair each have a plain, rectangular stretcher connecting the legs. A rectangular medial stretcher connects the two side stretchers.
Condition: The slip seat is reupholstered. Remnants of the original finish are present on the armchair.
Design and Construction Details:
Design. The lower front edge of the crest rail is canted. The vertical front edge of each banister has a thin line of cock bead molding. The top front edge of a rail at the top of the back seat rail has a line of molding consisting of a fillet over an ovolo. The top edges of the front and side seat rails, the top of each leg, and the front exterior edge of the front legs each have a line of molding consisting of an ovolo flanked by a fillet.
Chair Frame. The crest rail is supported by a round tenon at the top of each stile. Above the seat, the back of each stile is square. Each banister is pentagon shaped, with a flat front and sides, and sharply canted back edges that meet in the back at a point. The banisters are tenoned into the crest rail above and into a horizontal rail at the top of the back seat rail below. The back of each arm is screwed into the stile; the screw is concealed with filler. The front of each arm is supported on a tenon at the top of the arm support. Each arm support is screwed into the side seat rail just above the knee. The screws are inserted from the interior of the seat rail; filler plugs the round hole on the exterior of the joint where the arm support meets the seat rail. The back seat rail is tenoned and pinned into the stiles. Each side seat rail is tenoned through the stile; each of these joints is secured with a wooden pin through the side of the stile, and with two small wedges inserted into the back of the tenon. The joint where the side seat rail meets the top of the front leg is concealed behind the arm support. The front seat rail is tenoned into the top of the legs. The back interior corners of the seat frame have triangular corner blocks, held in place with nails and glue. The interior corners of the seat frame have a vertical glue block and a triangular corner block nailed in place. The interior corner of each leg is canted. The side and back stretchers are tenoned and pinned into the lower portion of the legs. The medial stretcher is dovetailed into the side stretchers.
Upholstered Slip Seat (reupholstered). The armchair is accompanied by a removable, upholstered slip seat. The slip seat consists of an orange moreen wool (replaced), over a linen undercover (replaced), stuffing (replaced), sackcloth, webbing, and a trapezoidal wooden frame. The wool is tacked to the underside of the frame with small nails.
Condition: The slip seat is reupholstered. Remnants of the original finish are present on the armchair.
Design and Construction Details:
Design. The lower front edge of the crest rail is canted. The vertical front edge of each banister has a thin line of cock bead molding. The top front edge of a rail at the top of the back seat rail has a line of molding consisting of a fillet over an ovolo. The top edges of the front and side seat rails, the top of each leg, and the front exterior edge of the front legs each have a line of molding consisting of an ovolo flanked by a fillet.
Chair Frame. The crest rail is supported by a round tenon at the top of each stile. Above the seat, the back of each stile is square. Each banister is pentagon shaped, with a flat front and sides, and sharply canted back edges that meet in the back at a point. The banisters are tenoned into the crest rail above and into a horizontal rail at the top of the back seat rail below. The back of each arm is screwed into the stile; the screw is concealed with filler. The front of each arm is supported on a tenon at the top of the arm support. Each arm support is screwed into the side seat rail just above the knee. The screws are inserted from the interior of the seat rail; filler plugs the round hole on the exterior of the joint where the arm support meets the seat rail. The back seat rail is tenoned and pinned into the stiles. Each side seat rail is tenoned through the stile; each of these joints is secured with a wooden pin through the side of the stile, and with two small wedges inserted into the back of the tenon. The joint where the side seat rail meets the top of the front leg is concealed behind the arm support. The front seat rail is tenoned into the top of the legs. The back interior corners of the seat frame have triangular corner blocks, held in place with nails and glue. The interior corners of the seat frame have a vertical glue block and a triangular corner block nailed in place. The interior corner of each leg is canted. The side and back stretchers are tenoned and pinned into the lower portion of the legs. The medial stretcher is dovetailed into the side stretchers.
Upholstered Slip Seat (reupholstered). The armchair is accompanied by a removable, upholstered slip seat. The slip seat consists of an orange moreen wool (replaced), over a linen undercover (replaced), stuffing (replaced), sackcloth, webbing, and a trapezoidal wooden frame. The wool is tacked to the underside of the frame with small nails.
Status
Not on view
