A George III mahogany open armchair circa 1770

in the manner of  Mayhew and Ince, with a serpentine seat-rail carved with fluting, beading and foliate paterae at the corners, the out-curving moulded arms with upholstered elbow pads, the fluted tapering legs with spiral collars and shaped feet 

The present chair has strong similarities to a set of eight giltwood armchairs almost certainly supplied to George Greville, 2nd Earl of Warwick (1746-1818), Warwick Castle, Warwickshire and which were sold by the Trustees of the Warwick Castle Resettlement, Christie`s, London, 21March 1968, lot 115. This attribution was based on accounts 1774-77 at Hoare`s bank detailing payments to Mayhew and Ince. Another example with strong stylistic affinities to the offered lot and also attributed to the same firm can be seen in the seat furniture supplied to Richard Myddleton for Chirk Castle, Denbighshire, Wales who was known to be in correspondence with Ince 1782-3, who is known to have designed other furniture for the castle. Further comparisons can be made between the offered lot and seat furniture supplied by Mayhew and Ince for the 3rd Earl of Darnley, for Cobham Hall, Kent, part of which was sold Christie's London, 19 November 1992.