Chinese Chippendale Mahogany Open Armchair c.1780

The good quality country house open armchair with a rich mahogany carcass, the shaped back with elegantly shaped scroll arms above a padded seat, on square chamfered front legs to rear sabres, the facings to the mahogany with Chinese Chippendale geo-metric patterns and, the whole re-upholstered in a pastel hued and black grounded floral linen and surviving from George III period England.

In very original condition, and with an excellent rich colour, the chair is stable and strong and ready to use with the upholstery is fresh. There are no cracks or splints, with some very minor small repairs here and there.

The most widely known English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) was a London cabinet-maker and furniture designer in the mid-Georgian, English Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. The Chippendale style is often described as being an anglicised type of Rococo, and Rococo is one of the styles Chippendale encompasses, along with Gothic and Chinese.

Chinese Chippendale creations often included cabinets and shelves for china, and typically features pagoda-style pediments and glazing bars arranged in a fretwork design. This fretwork was also used on the edges of tea tables and on the backs and legs of chairs, often coated with lacquer. The design motif comes from his interest in incorporating Chinese and other Asian designs into some of his furniture, which are now sought after antiques that are widely copied. The repetitive geometric line patterns are varied and beautiful, and complex for a cabinet-maker to execute.

Perfect as a desk chair or for a quiet read.