Untitled
possibly Thomas Roberts (fl.1686-1714)
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1688
Materials
Re-gilded beech, walnut (?), textile
Place of origin
London
Order this imageCollection
Belton House, Lincolnshire
NT 434862
Summary
A set of four giltwood elbow chairs or open armchairs, English, circa 1688. The cresting carved with putti seated on mythical sea creatures above a padded panel back with leaf carved frame and twist-turned back stiles. The moulded scrolled arms and overstuffed seat raised on scrolled legs joined by double S-scrolled front stretcher and twist turned baluster H stretcher below. Alterations to the seat rails and re-gilded.
Full description
This set of chairs can be associated with two others in the Belton collection, probably supplied to the house at its completion in 1688 and may include some of the chairs listed in the inventory of that year. Adam Bowett 'English Furniture 1660-1714' pg.237 discusses a set of four (NT 434861) which can be linked with the third set (NT 434842). It is quite likely that all are from the same workshop although attribution to a particular craftsman is difficult. The set discussed by Bowett have similarities to those supplied to Knole by Thomas Roberts (1685-1714). (James Weedon January 2019)
Provenance
Purchased with a grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) from Edward John Peregrine Cust, 7th Baron Brownlow, C. St J. (b.1936) in 1984.
Makers and roles
possibly Thomas Roberts (fl.1686-1714), furniture maker
References
Bowett 2002: Adam Bowett, English Furniture 1660-1714, 2002, pg.237 Bowett, 1999, Adam Bowett :"The English Horsebone chair, 1685-1710", The Burlington Magazine, Vol.141, No. 1154 (May, 1999), pp.263-270. Fryman 2011: Oliva Fryman, Making the bed: the practice, role and significance of housekeeping in the royal bedchambers at Hampton Court Palace 1689-1737 (PhD thesis), Kingston University Fryman 2014: Olivia Fryman, 'Rich Pickings: The Royal Bed as a Perquisite, 1660-1760', Furniture History L (2014): 119-36