Side Chair
Original OwnerOriginally owned by the
Watson family
(American)
Furniture MakerMade by
Unknown
Date1795-1810
MediumCherry, pine, damask
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 37 3/4 x 21 7/16 x 20 3/4in. (95.9 x 54.5 x 52.7cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineGift of Mrs. Howard B. Haylett
Object number1971.42.4
DescriptionCherry side chair in the Federal, or early neoclassical, style, with an arched crest rail, a pierced urn-back splat, tapered front legs, and a removable upholstered slip seat. The back of the chair is formed by an arched crest rail, with squared sides, atop two stiles. Centered below the arch of the crest rail is a pierced splat with an urn in the top center; the front of the urn is not carved. The urn rests atop a curved ribbon of wood that crosses through the middle of the splat. The urn is surrounded by a pointed arch and by curved ribs with carved volutes on top; the ribs form the outside edges of the splat. The pointed arch and the curved ribs continue below the curved ribbon of wood to the bottom of the splat. The splat is joined at the bottom to a tapered splat shoe just above the back seat rail. Above the seat, each stile curves slightly to conform to the shape of the upper splat, and is slanted back. Below the seat each stile forms a back leg which is slanted back and also slanted toward the center back of the chair. The seat is trapezoidal, with a removable upholstered slip seat (reupholstered). The slip seat sits just inside the four plain seat rails at the top of the legs. The front legs are tapered and extend from the height of the seat down to the foot. Each side and the back of the chair have a plain rectangular stretcher connecting the legs. A medial stretcher joins the two side stretchers.
Condition: The front of the front stretcher and the lower front legs are lightly scratched and worn. The frame is refinished. The slip seat is reupholstered and re-stuffed.
Design and Construction Details:
Design. Each front edge of the stiles above the seat, and the top and bottom front edge of the crest rail, have a thin line of incised bead molding. The top front edge of the splat shoe, the top edges of the front and side seat rails, top of the legs, and 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 on a tenon at the top of each stile. Above the seat, the back of the stiles are rounded; the back of the crest rail is rounded as well. The splat is tenoned into the crest rail above and into the splat shoe below. The back seat rail is tenoned and pinned into the stiles. Each side seat rail is tenoned through the stile in the back; this joint is reinforced with two small wedges through the back of each tenon. The side and front seat rails are tenoned into the top of the front legs. A rabbet on the interior top edge of the front and side seat rails, and the top of each front leg, supports the slip seat. Each interior back corner of the seat frame has a vertical, triangular corner block that is held in place with nails. The interior front corner of each seat frame has a vertical, triangular corner block that is also nailed in place. The interior corners of all the chair legs are canted. The back and side stretchers are tenoned into the lower legs. The medial stretcher dovetailed to the side stretchers.
Upholstered Slip Seat. The chair is accompanied by a removable slip seat consisting of tan damask (replaced) over an undercover, the stuffing (replaced), and webbing that is tacked to the trapezoidal frame. The damask, as well as remnants of a black plain weave upholstery fabric, are held in place on the underside of the slip seat frame with small nails.
NotesObject Note: Urn-back Chairs. This chair is one of a group of chairs generally known as urn-back chairs because of the large urn shape in the pierced splat on the back of the chair. This form is most closely associated with the shop of Aaron Chapin and the shop of Samuel Kneeland and Lemuel Adams. The Aaron Chapin shop made a set of nine urn-back chairs for Oliver and Abigail Ellsworth, now owned by the Oliver Ellsworth Homestead in Windsor, Connecticut. These chairs are depicted in a Ralph Earl portrait of the Ellsworths now owned by the Wadsworth Atheneum. These have crisply carved urns and rosettes and construction practices the same as those used in the shop of Eliphalet Chapin including through tenons with small wedges visible at the back of the stiles. Samuel Kneeland and Lemuel Adams made a set of six urn-back chairs that survive with a receipt dated 13 December 1793. These are now at the Winterthur Museum (accession number 1967.151.1). These have carved volutes and the side seat rails are not tenoned through the stiles. The urn-back chair gained widespread popularity throughout southern New England, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island. (Hunt 4/12/2006)Condition: The front of the front stretcher and the lower front legs are lightly scratched and worn. The frame is refinished. The slip seat is reupholstered and re-stuffed.
Design and Construction Details:
Design. Each front edge of the stiles above the seat, and the top and bottom front edge of the crest rail, have a thin line of incised bead molding. The top front edge of the splat shoe, the top edges of the front and side seat rails, top of the legs, and 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 on a tenon at the top of each stile. Above the seat, the back of the stiles are rounded; the back of the crest rail is rounded as well. The splat is tenoned into the crest rail above and into the splat shoe below. The back seat rail is tenoned and pinned into the stiles. Each side seat rail is tenoned through the stile in the back; this joint is reinforced with two small wedges through the back of each tenon. The side and front seat rails are tenoned into the top of the front legs. A rabbet on the interior top edge of the front and side seat rails, and the top of each front leg, supports the slip seat. Each interior back corner of the seat frame has a vertical, triangular corner block that is held in place with nails. The interior front corner of each seat frame has a vertical, triangular corner block that is also nailed in place. The interior corners of all the chair legs are canted. The back and side stretchers are tenoned into the lower legs. The medial stretcher dovetailed to the side stretchers.
Upholstered Slip Seat. The chair is accompanied by a removable slip seat consisting of tan damask (replaced) over an undercover, the stuffing (replaced), and webbing that is tacked to the trapezoidal frame. The damask, as well as remnants of a black plain weave upholstery fabric, are held in place on the underside of the slip seat frame with small nails.
Status
Not on view
