Collections: Decorative Arts: Armchair

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Armchair

This Philadelphia armchair, with its highly articulated vasiform splat, exhibits the seamless blending of curving forms into a single, harmonious design that defines the Queen Anne chair style. The Queen Anne style, imported from England, flourished in the United States from about 1725 until 1760. Elements of the chair, such as the carved shell and scroll motifs on the crest rail and knees, the sculptural contouring of the arms and arm supports, the fine beading on the outer edges of the stiles and arms, and the gracefully flaring trifid feet, are characteristic of high-style Philadelphia workmanship.


• Medium: Walnut, yellow pine, modern upholstery
• Place Made: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
• Dates: ca. 1740-1760
• Dimensions: 42 1/2 x 31 x 21 in. (107.95 x 78.74 x 53.34 cm)
• Markings: (1) Incised on top of front seat rail: "I" (2) Paper label attached to outside of rear seat rail: "All sorts of chairs and joiners work made and sold by William Savery. At the sign of the chair a little below the market in Second Street, Philadelphia." [Label possibly from retailer] (3) Brass plaque attached to inside of rear seat rail: "Fiddle Back Walnut Armchair with Original Label of William Savery, Philadelphia Circa 1750. No. 677 Reifsnyder Collection. American Art Galleries Sale April 27, 1929." [Label added by collector]
• Collections: Decorative Arts
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Luce Visible Storage and Study Center, 5th Floor
• Accession Number: 1997.150.1a-b
• Credit Line: Matthew Scott Sloan Collection, Gift of Lidie Lane Sloan McBurney
• Image: Overall, 1997.150.1_transp687.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Armchair, ca. 1740-1760. Walnut, yellow pine, modern upholstery, 42 1/2 x 31 x 21 in. (107.95 x 78.74 x 53.34 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Matthew Scott Sloan Collection, Gift of Lidie Lane Sloan McBurney, 1997.150.1a-b (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 1997.150.1_transp687.jpg)
• Catalogue Description: Queen Anne style armchair (a) with slip seat (b). Arched, round-shouldered crest rail with carved central scallop shell flanked by volutes, joining a solid fiddle splat that connects to the seat rail with a molded shoe. Serpentine curved stiles, outlined with beading, ending in reverse-curve back posts. Outward-curving, knuckled arms with scrolled hand rests and cyma-curved arm supports. Horseshoe seat formed from broad, curved front seat rail with applied seat lip, joining two side rails; through tenons of side rails visible on back of stiles. Cabriole legs, with shells carved on the knees, and scroll brackets; legs posted into front rail and terminate in trifid feet. CONDITION - Good. Small dents and scratches, especially on feet and inner proper right arm.