Rhode Island Furniture Archive - Yale University Art Gallery

Photo: Courtesy of Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, Vt., used with permission Click the image to enlarge	Banister-back armchair
	Object number RIF3333
	Maker Maker Unknown
	Dimensions 45 � 24 � 20 1/2 in. (114.3 � 60.96 � 52.07 cm)
	Date 1740–60
	Current location Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh
	Geography Probably made in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (view a map of Rhode Island)
	Medium Maple (stiles, front posts, front stretchers, arms, side and rear seat rails, crest, stay rail, and proper left two spindles); ash or oak (stretchers, proper right four spindles); oak (front seat rail)
	Marks None
	Inscriptions None
	Provenance Probably owned by David Fish (1709–unknown), Portsmouth, Rhode Island; by descent to his son David Fish, Jr., (1734–unknown), Portsmouth, Rhode Island; by descent to his daughter Mrs. Thomas Robinson (n�e Jemima Fish, 1761–1846), Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and Ferrisburgh, Vermont; by descent to her son Rowland T. Robinson (1796–1879), Ferrisburgh, Vermont; by descent to his son George G. Robinson (1825–1894), Ferrisburgh, Vermont; by descent to his brother Rowland E. Robinson (1833–1900), Ferrisburgh, Vermont; by descent to his wife Anna S. Robinson (1840–1920), Ferrisburgh, Vermont; given to Rokeby Museum, Ferrisburgh, Vermont
	Associated names Jemima Fish Robinson David Fish David Fish, Jr. Rowland E. Robinson Anna S. Robinson George G. Robinson Lydia Dennis Fish Rowland T. Robinson
	Construction The deeply chamfered crest rail, which centers an arched reserve with a carved heart, is tenoned and pinned into elaborately turned stiles. Set into the bottom of the crest rail and the top of the deeply chamfered lower rail are six turned and split banisters, mimicking the profiles of the flanking stiles. Tenoned and pinned into the stiles are carved and molded scrolling arms, into which are doweled and pinned the turned arm supports/front legs, whose configuration mimics again the rear stiles. The plain, straight single rear stretcher is doweled and pinned into the plain, straight rear legs, probably reduced in height. The double side stretchers are also doweled and pinned into their respective legs. The seat is composed of chamfered rails set into each leg and covered with woven splints assisted by string. The front legs (probably reduced in height) are joined with pins to an elaborately turned stretcher. Examined by P.E. Kane, May 24, 2008; notes compiled by T.B. Lloyd
	Bibliography Patricia E. Kane et al., Art and Industry in Early America: Rhode Island Furniture, 1650–1830, exh. cat. (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Art Gallery, 2016), 190–191, 195n6, no. 23.