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Photo: Courtesy Christie's, New York
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Upholstered armchair

Object number

RIF209

Maker

Maker Unknown

Dimensions

Height: 99.06cm (39in.)

Date

1785–1800

Current location

Unknown

Geography

Made in Newport, Rhode Island
(view a map of Rhode Island)

Medium

Mahogany (primary); maple (seat rails, rear stiles above the back legs, crest rail, and stay rail)

Style

Chippendale

Provenance

Brought to San Francisco, California, by a Rhode Island family, about 1890. Ferd W. (1896–1953) and Beuna Weider (1896–1972), Berkeley, California; by descent to their grandchildren; consigned to Christie's, New York, January 15–16, 2004, lot 473; consigned to Brunk Auctions, Asheville, North Carolina, May 28–29, 2011, lot 322

Associated names

Ferd W. Wieder
Beuna Wieder
Christie's
Brunk Auctions

Construction

The backward-raking stiles are tenoned into the bottom of the flat crest rail. The raking, square rear legs are spliced into the rear stiles and secured with rosehead nails. The rear seat rail is tenoned and wood-pinned to the rear legs, and the lower back rail joins the stiles and rear legs in dovetail joints. The serpentine upholstered arms are tenoned through the rear stiles. The bottom of the flat-sided, round-topped incurvate arm supports are tenoned and wood pinned to the top of the square, stop-fluted front legs and to blocks between the arm support and the side seat rail, which are tenoned and wood pinned to the rear seat rails. The front and side seat rails are also tenoned and wood pinned to the tops of the front legs. The back retains its original webbing and sack cloth. Examined by P.E. Kane, January, 2004; notes compiled by T.B. Lloyd.

Bibliography

Helen Comstock, "American Furniture in California," Antiques 65, no. 1 (January 1954): 56, fig. 14.
Christie's, New York, Important American Furniture, Folk Art, Silver, Prints, and 20th Century Self-Taught and Outside Art, sale cat. (January 15–16, 2004), 257, lot 473, ill.