Untitled
Category
Furniture
Date
1740 - 1760
Materials
Mahogany, leather, brass
Place of origin
England
Collection
Rievaulx Terrace, North Yorkshire
NT 202009
Summary
A set of twelve mahogany chairs, English, circa 1740 - 60. Each having an arched toprail above an elaborate baluster-shaped splat pierced with interlaced strapwork and paired scrolls or trusses above a pierced fan. The seat stuff-over and covered in close-nailed black leather, which is probably the original. The front legs of cabriole form and carved to the knee with scrolls and acanthus, terminating in ball and claw feet. The rear legs turned, sharply raked and terminating in pad feet. -- There is no firm evidence that these chairs formed part of the 18th century furnishings of the Temple, but an inventory taken by Robert Barker in February 1783 which includes Rievaulx Terrace in the section 'At the Bank Top' refers to '8 mahogany leather bottomed chairs'. Eight mahogany stools are recorded in the Chamber and the Temple.
Provenance
Transferred to the National Trust from HM Treasury in lieu of estate duty in 1972.
References
Bowett 2009, Early Georgian Furniture 1715 - 1740 (2009), Illustrated and discussed pp. 197 - 8 and Plate 4:110