'The Powis Silvered Seat Furniture'
possibly John Belchier (1699 - 1753)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1725
Materials
Silvered beechwood, textile
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Powis Castle and Garden, Powys
NT 1181056
Summary
A set of eight pieces of silvered beechwood seat furniture, possibly by John Belchier, London, circa 1725. Comprising a sofa, five chairs and two stools. all upholstered in original crimson Spitalfields silk velvet. The sofa with a framed rectangular back and C scrolled arms, the overstuffed seat raised on cabriole legs carved with floral scroll decoration and surmounted with crests, the seat rails with narrow applied fascias. The chairs with conforming framed backs, legs and applied fascias. The stools with oval padded seats and conforming legs and applied fascias.
Full description
The Powis seat furniture relates to chairs supplied circa 1720-26 for Erddig, North Wales, and attributed to John Belchier of St. Pauls Churchyard (d. 1753) (see P. Macquoid and R. Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, London, rev. ed, 1954, vol. I, p. 261, fig. 106). They are upholstered in identical silk velvet and were almost certainly acquired by John Meller (d. 1733) and listed in the 1726 inventory as in the Withdrawing Room at Erddig; noticed by John Loveday (1711 - 1789) when he visited in 1732. Given the proximity of Erddig to Powis Castle, the identical silk and the unusual use of applied fascias to the seat rails it is quite likely that both sets are from the same workshop. (James Weedon, March 2019)
Provenance
Part of the indigenous collection of Powis Castle accepted in part satisfaction of the Estate duty after the death of the Right Honourable George Charles, 4th Earl of Powis, on 9th November 1952. The contract of the 'Offer of Property in Satisfaction of Estate Duty under the National Land Fund Scheme' was completed on 21st March 1963. Conveyed to National Trust ownership in 1992.
Makers and roles
possibly John Belchier (1699 - 1753), furniture designer and maker
References
Beard, 1997: Geoffrey Beard. Upholsterers and interior furnishing in England, 1530-1840. Bard studies in the decorative arts. New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 1997., Illustrated and discussed pp. 178 - 9; Figure 160 Bowett 2009, Early Georgian Furniture 1715 - 1740 (2009), Illustrated and discussed pp. 166, Plate 4:42 - 4:43 Cornforth, 2004: John Cornforth, Early Georgian interiors. New Haven: Published by the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art by Yale University Press, 2004., p. 281