Sedan chair
Unknown
Category
Carriages & other vehicles
Date
1700 - 1800
Materials
Wood frame with painted leather panels and silk upholstery.
Measurements
164 x 86.5 x 76cm (5ft 4 1/2in x 2ft 6in x 2ft 10in)
Place of origin
Genoa
Order this imageCollection
Dyrham, Gloucestershire
NT 453486
Caption
This sedan chair is an example of how personalised the decoration could become. The leather panels are painted with Scottish pastoral scenes. Within the scenes are the Earl of Montrose and his Countess on horseback, out on a days hunting. Chased gilt brass ornamentation adds to the opulence. This sedan chair is an example of how the skills and traditions of the coachbuilder and the painter come together.
Summary
Sedan chair of the late 18th century built in Genoa, Italy. Sedan chair of the type know as a bascule (without glazed windows) portantina (style c 1762-1796) with original black leather panels. The panels of this sedan chair are painted with hunting scenes. The interior is upholstered in crimson Genoa silk damask. This style of potantina comes in one of three principal types: with glazed windows, with taut leather windows, or sliding windows with removable upper side panel. They were originally used in Genoa and Corsica.
Full description
Sedan chair built in Genoa of the bascule (without glazed windows) portantina (style c 1762-1796) type with original black leather panels. This style of potantina comes in one of three principle types: with glazed windows, with taut leather windows, or sliding windows with removable upper side panel. They were originally used in Genoa and Corsica. The panels of this sedan chair are painted with Scottish pastoral hunting scenes and the interior is upholstered in crimson Genoa silk damask. Of the forty one examples in existence two have upper side panels, ten have taut leather covered windows and the remainder have either missing windows or glazed ones. These enclosed carrying chairs and sedan chairs are without curtains. Taut leather windows provide both privacy and improved safety from broken glass when travelling along narrow streets in the old city of Genoa. It is not known whether any of these portantina were supplied with a second set of glazed or leathered windows. The chairman carried these sedans with the aid of a single loop ended adjustable strap over one shoulder, different to the technique in Piedmont and the countries of France, Austria, Germany and Northern Europe.
Provenance
This sedan chair may have been owned by Earl Graham (possibly connected with James Graham 1755-1836, later 4th Duke of Montrose. Master of the King’s Horse 1790-1795) Probably purchased by Mr Ripley for his collection at King Johns Hunting Lodge, Axbridge. Bequeathed to Dyrham Park by Miss Ripley.
Makers and roles
Unknown, builder