Open armchair
William Ince & John Mayhew (fl. 1759-99)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1782 - 1783
Materials
Beech, paint, gilding, satin
Measurements
99 x 67.5 x 62 cm
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Chirk Castle, Wrexham
NT 1170733.12
Summary
An open armchair, part of a larger set of seventeen (originally twenty) pieces of seat furniture, comprising two sofas and fifteen (originally eighteen) open armchairs, made by William Ince & John Mayhew (fl. 1759-99), cabinet-makers of London, for Chirk Castle in 1782-3. Now upholstered in floral ivory satin, and painted with brown graining and gilded; originally covered in green Tabory and painted (japanned) green and white. The oval back with a moulded frame topped by a foliate clasp, the upright strut visible to the rear of the back. The open scroll-ended arms padded and on in-swept arm supports. The seat with serpentine front seat rail; the seat rails all carved with flutes and rosettes and raised on two turned, tapering and fluted front legs topped by a band of entrelac and terminating in reeded ovoid feet. The rear legs turned, tapering and outswept.
Full description
Associated with Chirk Castle
Provenance
Amongst the chattels that, in 1978, were acquired along with Chirk Castle from Lt-Col Ririd Myddelton (1902–1988) by the National Land Fund and handed, on loan for 99 years, to the Secretary of State for Wales. In 1981 Chirk was transferred into the ownership of the National Trust. On loan to the Trust from Guy Charles Myddelton. Gifted to Guy C Myddelton from Captain David Myddelton in 2010. Purchased by the National Trust from Mr Guy Myddelton in 2023.
Makers and roles
William Ince & John Mayhew (fl. 1759-99), cabinetmaker
References
Roberts, H. and Cator, C., Industry and Ingenuity: The Partnership of William Ince and John Mayhew (PWP, London, 2022), pp. 211-213; Figs. 34, 326 and 363