Side Chair
Furniture MakerMade by
Unknown
Date1795-1810
MediumCherry, pine, leather
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (overall height x width x depth): 38 x 20 5/8 x 19 3/8in. (96.5 x 52.4 x 49.2cm)
ClassificationsFurniture
Credit LineMuseum purchase
Object number1976.76.1a,b
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 carved with vertical ribs. 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 is slanted back, and curves slightly to conform to the shape of the upper portion of the splat. Below the seat, each stile forms a back leg that is slanted back and also slanted toward the center back of the chair. The seat is trapezoidal, with a removable slip seat upholstered in leather (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 connects the two side stretchers.
Condition: The front of the front stretcher and the lower front legs are lightly scratched and worn. The left stretcher has broken and has been repaired. The slip seat is reupholstered. The back left corner block is broken and detached from the frame.
Design and Construction Details:
Design. The top front edge of the splat shoe, the top edges of the front and side seat rails, the top of each leg, and the front exterior edge of the front legs all 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 splat shoe is nailed down on top of the back seat rail. 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 front and side 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 at the top of each front leg, supports the slip seat. Each interior back corner of the seat frame has a vertical, quarter-round corner block that is glued in place (the back left corner block is missing). The interior front corner of each seat frame has a vertical glue block and a vertical corner block that is also glued in place. The interior corners of the back legs are canted. The back and side stretchers are tenoned into the lower portion of the legs. The medial stretcher dovetailed to the side stretchers.
Upholstered Slip Seat. The chair is accompanied by a removable slip seat consisting of leather (replaced) over an undercover, the original stuffing, linen sackcloth, and the webbing that is tacked to the trapezoidal slip seat frame. The leather is nailed to the underside of the slip seat frame.
NotesSubject 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, following the same construction practices as those used in the shop of Eliphalet Chapin, such as 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 left stretcher has broken and has been repaired. The slip seat is reupholstered. The back left corner block is broken and detached from the frame.
Design and Construction Details:
Design. The top front edge of the splat shoe, the top edges of the front and side seat rails, the top of each leg, and the front exterior edge of the front legs all 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 splat shoe is nailed down on top of the back seat rail. 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 front and side 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 at the top of each front leg, supports the slip seat. Each interior back corner of the seat frame has a vertical, quarter-round corner block that is glued in place (the back left corner block is missing). The interior front corner of each seat frame has a vertical glue block and a vertical corner block that is also glued in place. The interior corners of the back legs are canted. The back and side stretchers are tenoned into the lower portion of the legs. The medial stretcher dovetailed to the side stretchers.
Upholstered Slip Seat. The chair is accompanied by a removable slip seat consisting of leather (replaced) over an undercover, the original stuffing, linen sackcloth, and the webbing that is tacked to the trapezoidal slip seat frame. The leather is nailed to the underside of the slip seat frame.
Status
Not on view
