Chair
Category
Furniture
Date
1800 - 1849
Materials
Cherrywood, cane
Measurements
27.5 in (H)13 in (W)14.5 in (Length)
Place of origin
England
Collection
Carlyle's House, London
NT 263500.3
Summary
A cherrywood occasional chair, part of a group of five, English, first half 19th century, the shaped back rail on two upright supports with a horizontal back splat, the shaped seat with a caned or pierced and stained ply seat, on turned and tapering front legs and splayed square-section rear legs, the front legs joined by a turned stretcher, the sides with two plain stretchers and the rear with a single plain stretcher. Several chairs in the group with shortened legs. Thought to originally have been a set of eight.
Provenance
Thomas Carlyle in a letter to his brother Alexander Carlyle, 27th June 1834, wrote 'at my old writing-table, with one of the dining-room chairs for personal use, and some eight other ornamental London ones, of cherry-wood and cane bottoms, bought for some 8/6 apiece, really very handsome.' It is thought that these are the chairs referred to in Thomas Carlyle's letter. Date and method of entry to the house unknown.