'The Chicheley Hall Chairs'
attributed to George Nix (fl.1716-1751)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1720 - 1730
Materials
Mahogany, holly
Measurements
101.5 x 47 x 57 cm
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Montacute House, Somerset
NT 2900077.4
Summary
One of a set of eighteen mahogany and marquetry hall chairs, attributed to George Nix (1664-1756), London, circa 1720-30. Each having a waisted back with slightly concave top edge, the seat waisted and dished. Raised on solid and hipped supports with an arched cutaway; the front board with dished centre, the rear board raked, united by a curving stretcher. The back inlaid in marquetry, including holly, with the crest of the Chester family of Chicheley Hall; a ram's head couped argent, armed or above a torse.
Full description
Closely related to a set of eighteen oak chairs at Ham House [NT 1139637.1 - .18] for which bills survive showing that they were made by George Nix (1674 - 1756), a London cabinet maker. The set of eighteen chairs at Ham House cost £18. A very similar set of mahogany chairs also with a marquetry, rather than a painted, crest, are at Ashdowne House [NT 493008.1 - .8]. The arms inlaid to this set date the chairs between 1721 and 1748. Similar hall chairs painted with a family crest are at Felbrigg [NT 1398476.1]. This set of chairs at Montacute was originally made for the Chester family of Chicheley Hall and were probably commissioned either by the 4th Baronet, Sir John Chester (1666 - 1724) who rebuilt the hall between 1719 and 1723 or by Sir John Chester, 6th Baronet (d. 1748) (the 5th Baronet died just 32 days after his father). (Megan Wheeler, February 2017)
Provenance
Commissioned by the Chester family of Chicheley Hall, Buckinghamshire; thence by descent to Major John Greville Bagot Chester, MC (1925 - 2011); accepted in lieu of inheritance tax and allocated to the National Trust for display at Montacute, 2012.
Makers and roles
attributed to George Nix (fl.1716-1751), cabinetmaker
References
Rowell 2013: Christopher Rowell (ed.), Ham House, 400 Years of Collecting and Patronage, Yale University Press, New Haven & London 2013, pp.281-2, Figure 278 Dictionary of British and Irish furniture makers online (1660-1840) FHS 2017