Late 19th Century Sheraton Style Walnut Chairs with Inlay

• Satinwood - Satinwood is a dense pale gold coloured timber that was imported into Britain in the second half of the 18th century, and early 19th centuries from the East Indies and the West Indies. The name derives from the satin-like surface sheen when the timber is polished.
  
  It was used in the solid, as a veneer and in inlays. As well as furniture, satinwood was used for making musical instruments, barometers, boxes and clocks.
  
  It will usually be found on only the very best quality objects, presumably because of of its cost at the time.
• Lyre Motif - The lyre motif is an ancient decorative design that is believed to have originated in ancient Greece, where the lyre was a popular musical instrument. The lyre itself was often decorated with ornate carvings and designs, including the iconic lyre motif.
  
  In ancient Greek mythology, the lyre was associated with the god Apollo, who was the patron of music and the arts. The lyre was said to have been invented by the god Hermes, who presented it to Apollo as a gift. As a result, the lyre became a symbol of creativity, inspiration, and artistic expression.
  
  The lyre motif typically features a curved or S-shaped body, with strings extending upwards from the base. The motif was often used in architectural decoration, as well as on pottery, jewellery, and other decorative objects.
• Inlay - Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed
• Thomas Sheraton - Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) was born in Stockton on Tees in the north of England. He was apprenticed to a local cabinetmaker and after working as a cabinetmaker, Sheraton moved to London about 1790. Although he described himself as a cabinet-maker, like Chippendale, no definite piece of furniture can be traced to him as maker. Nevertheless, he was immensely influential and in 1791-4 published his four volume book 'The Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Drawing Book'. The books were used as source of design by the furniture-making trade , who often simplified or modified the designs to suit their own preferences. Sheraton furniture is marked by restraint and sophistication, elegance and discretion, though he also found time to invent fanciful combination furniture.
• Parquetry - Parquetry is inlay laid in geometric patterns, the contrast being achieved by the opposing angles of the grain and veneers. The herringbone pattern is the most commonly used in flooring, but this is almost never seen in furniture - the patterns used are more complex and unlike flooring, can include several different varieties of timber.
• Lyre - Attributed to the 18th century designer Robert Adam, the back splat of a chair or sthe supports of a table are in the form of a lyre, a Greek musical instrument similar to a harp.
  
  In shape it resembles two reversed scrolls.
  
  Chairs continued to be made in this style for at least the next fifty years.
  
  In Australia many cedar chairs and tables have survived dating to the 1830s and 1840s, featuring the lyre shape in the back splats and as supports for small tables.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• chairs, sets of 4, style or period
  • all styles 511
  • Hepplewhite style 72
  • Sheraton syle 7
  • Victorian 139
• chairs, sets of 4, timber - walnut 33