Side Chairs
Maker
Maker unknown
(American, probably Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; possibly Baltimore, Maryland)
Date1820-1840
MediumSoft maple, yellow-poplar, hickory, rush, and paint
DimensionsOverall: 32 7/8 x 18 x 19 1/4in. (83.5 x 45.7 x 48.9cm)
ClassificationsFURNISHINGS
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Terms
Object number59.126.1-2
On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextDuring the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, urban artisans involved in the making of furniture generally specialized in specific areas of the craft. Among the most active urban chairmakers were those who made Windsor and fancy chairs, both of which were relatively easy to fabricate. While Windsor chairs consist primarily of turned elements, fancy chairs, such as these examples, have turned and sawn components decoratively painted in polychrome patterns to imitate formal furniture.
The different parts of fancy chairs were made from a variety of local woods, each chosen for its particular physical properties.The diverse woods were visually integrated with paint. These chairs have been grained to imitate rosewood, an expensive, imported, tropical wood that was used in costly furniture.The chairs were then ornamented with gilded patterns that recall ancient motifs.
