There''s a lot to admire in this nicely proportioned and neat armchair.The design for the back of this chair was published in Robert Manwaring''s ''The Cabinet and Chair-Maker''s Real Friend and Companion'' in 1765.Manwaring aside, the sash ends recall the work of Francis Brodie, a talented maker in his own right supplying furniture to The Palace of Holyroodhouse, amongst others, and father to the infamous William ''Deacon'' Brodie. Despite their fame there are few documented examples by either Brodie, however in the case of this chair, examples held in the collection of the Maxwell Stuart family at Traquair provide a useful reference. (see Francis Bamford''s trailblazing ''A Dictionary of Edinburgh Furniture Makers 1660-1840, published by The Furniture History Society, 1983).The carved scroll terminals are well-executed and stand on carved ''stumps'', (which although the technical term, seems rather crude in this case) and doesn''t convey their swan-neck like grace.The...