Mother of Pearl Inlaid Hardwood Side Chairs
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.
- Mother-Of-Pearl - Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments.
In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.
Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries. - Back Splat - The vertical or horizontal piece that joins the back to the seat, or between the two sides of the chair. The back splat stabilises and adds additional strength to the back.
- 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
- Splat - The central back support between the top rail and the seat in chairs and couches. They may take a variety of forms, and run either horizontally or vertically.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
John Gee (English, 1779-1824), Regency side chair, c. 1820, faux rosewood finish, fine inlaid decoration, on turned legs with reeded seat tails, stamped 'GEE' and four sets of initials 'TB,' made by John Gee, chair maker and turner in Ordinary to George II
A Regency revival mahogany stretcher-based arm chair 20th century, the camel back chair with a wheat sheaf splat, bowed arm rests and side supports, a drop-in seat and raised on square section legs, height 96 cm, width 59 cm, depth 54 cm
A Sheraton mahogany elbow chair, the arched cresting rail above upright splats with carved wheat ear decoration, out swept arms on square tapering legs
A Georgian style elbow chair, 19th century, the carved pierced central splat and scrolled arms above a brown drop in leather seat, 93 cm high