Leeds Antiques has dated these Yew Elm Windsor Armchairs to the 19th Century.
Each chair is of elegant country house form, with shaped yew top hoops, yew arm rails, slender spindles, double pierced central splats and well-figured moulded elm seats. The chairs stand on turned front legs joined by traditional crinoline stretchers, giving the set a particularly attractive rhythm and strong period character.
The quality of the timber is a notable feature of the set. The yew has a rich, warm colour with excellent variation through the hoops, arms, legs and stretchers, while the elm seats display very attractive figuring and surface movement. The chairs are well matched in form, scale and design, with only the natural variations one would expect in a genuine early 19th century Windsor set. These slight differences give the set an honest and pleasing character, rather than the uniformity of later reproduction chairs.
The set has a very decorative English country furniture look, with the double pierced splats, shaped arms and crinoline stretchers providing both elegance and visual interest. They would work beautifully around a country kitchen table, breakfast table or informal dining setting, while also having sufficient quality and presence for a more traditional period or country house interior.
The chairs have good colour and patina throughout, with surfaces that are very much in keeping with their age and use. They are not uniformly untouched, and one chair has had some refinishing to the surface, but the set presents extremely well as a whole and retains a warm, honest, period appearance.
Dimensions vary very slightly from chair to chair, as expected with a hand-made matched set.
Approximate dimensions:
Height: 91.5 cm / 36 inches
Width: 54 cm / 21 1/4 inches
Depth: 53 cm / 20 3/4 inches
Seat height: 44–44.5 cm / 17 1/4–17 1/2 inches
There is slight variation in width between the chairs, as expected with early 19th century Windsor chairs, largely due to the natural ageing and movement of the bent arm rails.
Condition:
The chairs are in good condition overall and are strong, usable and well presented. They have good colour and patina throughout, with age-related surface wear, marks and natural variation in tone, all in keeping with early 19th century Windsor chairs.
All six chairs have elm seats. The top hoops, arm rails, spindles, front legs and crinoline stretchers are yew. Two chairs have rear legs in elm or ash, while the remaining rear legs are yew.
There are minor age-related fine splits to some of the arms and hoops, as is commonly found on Windsor chairs of this age. One chair has a small, high-quality repair to the end of the back hoop, very well executed and barely noticeable. One chair has had some surface refinishing. The set is not described as retaining wholly original untouched surfaces throughout, but the colour, finish and patina are consistent, attractive and entirely in keeping with the age and character of the chairs.
A very attractive and usable matched set, with excellent colour, strong decorative appeal and a pleasing early 19th century country house presence.
Leeds Antiques has dated these Yew Elm Windsor Armchairs to the 19th Century.
Second-generation antique dealer specialising in carefully sourced 17th–20th-century furniture and décor, chosen for quality and character.
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Matched Set of Six Early 19th Century English Yew & Elm Windsor Armchairs with Crinoline Stretchers, C.1820–1840
