A Fine Pair of George III Carved Mahogany Back Stools CIRCA 1760

each with an over-upholstered serpentine crested crest, the upholstered seats with serpentine form front seat rails centered by a fan-shaped shell clasp flanked by foliate acanthus leaf sprays continuing to cabriole legs carved at the knees with shaped cabochons within C-scrolls and foliate and ruffle-carved cartouches, the out-curved molded scrolled toes headed by rising acanthus leaves. Replacements.

Ruth Vanderbilt Twombly, Florham, Convent, New Jersey
Sold from her estate, on the premises, June 15 and 16, 1955, lot 414, the four chairs, lot 415, two identical chairs.

Single chairs are variously illustrated by F. Lewis Hinckley in,  A Directory of Antique Furniture, 1953, fig. 739, A Directory of Queen Anne, Early Georgian and Chippendale Furniture, 1971, fig. 259, Metropolitan Furniture of the Georgian Years, 1988, pl. 60,  ill. 121.

Rubbing to carved surface overall, small losses to edges of carving to the aprons particularly to tips of foliate scrolls and with some small replacements to carved elements, and also small losses to carved scrolled toes, the attached carved elements of the aprons with later gluing, screw and nail fixings, later corner blocks, some old worm damage to rails, both chairs with modern ply-wood reinforced seats, one chair with re-glued fractures to tops of front legs, and with a replaced section on the support to the left side apron and losses to the seat rail now reinforced, the front apron reinforced below with a wooden fillet, front right leg with repaired break now with a screw to the back of the foot.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The influence of contemporary French designs can be clearly seen in the present chairs with their cabriole legs and serpentine-aproned seat rails.  Unlike their French beech and walnut counterparts, they are conceived in finely grained mahogany which has allowed the carver to achieve not only depth but also exceptional detail to the crisp carving. Chairs of this form with their over-upholstered backs are commonly called 'back stools' in contemporary pattern books, the designs illustrating arm chairs with similarly carved seat rails but with padded backs within conforming carved frames with scrolled arms. Thomas Chippendale illustrates a number of these French Chairs in the third edition of The Gentleman & Cabinet-Maker's Director, published in 1762, pls., XIX - XIII, and also other chairs without arms and with open carved backs which have similar carved seat rails and legs to the present examples pls. IX - XV. A table formerly in the collection of Percival Griffiths and illustrated by R. W. Symonds, English Furniture from Charles II to George II, 1929, fig. 181, has an apron and legs of identical design to the present chairs although it is, of course, of different proportions.