Armchair
possibly Thomas Roberts (fl.1686-1714)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1685 - 1688
Materials
Walnut upholstered in dark blue velvet
Measurements
127.0 x 65.0 x 90.0 cm
Place of origin
'The Royal Chair', Marylebone Street, Westminster, London, England
Order this imageCollection
Knole, Kent
NT 129516.2
Summary
One of a pair of walnut elbow chairs, English, c.1685-88, with scroll front ‘horsebone’ legs, turned side and central stretchers and scrolled ‘horsebone’ front stretcher, stuffed back, seat and arms, upholstered in original midnight-blue figured velvet. It is one of a pair probably supplied by Thomas Roberts to James II. As Adam Bowett has argued, the velvet upholstery ‘matches that used for a State Bed at Kensington Palace, bearing the cipher of James II and Mary of Modena. It is probably that [the pair of Knole] chairs formed part of the seat furniture en suite to the bed, and if so, they can be dated between 1685 and 1688’ (Bowett 2002, p. 103).
Provenance
A perquisite of office acquired by Charles Sackville, 6th Earl of Dorset in his capacity of Lord Chamberlain to William III. Knole and the majority of its furniture were accepted by HM Treasury in part payment of death duties and transferred to the National Trust in 1946.
Makers and roles
possibly Thomas Roberts (fl.1686-1714), chairmaker
References
Bowett 2002: Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, 2002