Set of ten Adam style mahogany dining chairs, c. 1880, probably by Cooper & Holt, London, shield backs with raised arch carved foliate decoration, blue suede upholstered saddle seats, raised on finely detailed moulded splayed legs, together with six matching Adam style dining chairs, the whole set includes four carvers and twelve dining chairs (16), height 98 cm, (carvers), 96 cm. provenance: The Estate of Martyn Cook, Sydney
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
- Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
- Saddle Seat - A saddle seat is a chair with a solid wooden seat, with two shallow depressions separated by a slight central ridge, suggestive of the shape of a saddle. However the term has been applied by designers and auction cataloguers to a wide range of seat shapes.
- Provenance - A term used to describe the provable history of an antique or work of art, and thus an additional aid to verifying its authenticity. Provenance can have an inflating effect on the price of an item, particularly if the provenance relates to the early settlement of Australia, a famous person, or royalty. Less significant are previous sales of the item through an auction house or dealer.
- Foliate - Decorated with leaves or leaf-like forms.
This item has been included into following indexes:
-
Adam, Robert (Scottish) - furniture designs
18
-
chairs, sets of 10, style or period - all styles and timbers
101
-
chairs, sets of 12 or more - all styles and timbers
69
-
chairs, sets of 4, style or period
-
chairs, sets of 4, timber - mahogany
104
-
chairs, sets of 6, style or period - Victorian
218
-
chairs, sets of 6, timber