William Carr Antiques has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
Structurally very good.
Seat Height: 44cm
The petty ledger of the firm from 1783 to 1785 records the production of 218 oval-back chairs in diverse designs, including examples like this one with 'three upright splats.' Notably, this chair exhibits the distinctive 'water leaf' motif painted in gilt on the upper arms, with the arms concluding in the characteristic 'stumps' (referred to by Gillows as the short supports for the arms).
Interestingly, the distinctive arms seen on this chair, as well as on other Gillows chairs depicted in Plates 116 and 131 of Susan E. Stuart's "Gillows of Lancaster and London Volume I," are noteworthy. In a June 1787 entry, Gillows noted, 'though the seats of the armed chairs are not very large, the arms are made to spread out very much & give plenty of room.' The arms on this chair were designed to accommodate the broad skirts worn by ladies in the 1780s.
For reference purposes see Susan E. Stuart Gillow’s of Lancaster and London, Volume I, pages 133, 162 and 171.
William Carr Antiques has dated this piece to the 18th Century.
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George III Painted Oval-back Armchair
