An important pair of George III painted and parcel-gilt drawing room chairs, retaining their original painted-cotton seat covers and upholstery Circa 1795

the first chair with cresting rail centered by a carved with a musical trophy of a drum and horns within an oval lozenge flanked by flaming torches and foliate acanthus lozenges within a beaded tablet and flanked by flower heads surmounted by gadrooned finials raised on stop-fluted columnar stiles with foliate capitals, the rectangular upholstered backrest à  chassis and painted with a female figure holding a chalice in her right hand and a dagger in her left hand, possibly representing Temperance within a beaded oval lozenge flanked by winged caryatids holding a foliate canopy and floral swags amid foliate and floral grotesques all within a beaded border and painted with swirling acanthus to the square edge, the S-curved downswept armrests carved with trailing berried foliage and beading terminating in block-form handholds applied with flowerheads on tapered fluted acanthus-carved baluster supports, the rounded drop-in seat with conforming decoration to the backrest and painted with swirling acanthus to the square edge, above a conforming seat rail with beaded moldings raised on circular turned fluted tapering legs carved with beading and stiff leaves headed by flower-heads and terminating in turned feet, stamped VII to the frame and backrest; the second chair with cresting rail centered by a carved musical trophy of flutes, horns and reed pipes; the backrest painted with Minerva representing Fortitude stamped VIII to the frame and backrest, the back of the chair marked 26.707 in red ink, the back of the backrest marked 26.713 in red ink.  Retaining the original gilt-metal and steel screw attachments.

George Granville Leveson-Gower, 2^nd Marquess of Stafford, created Duke of Sutherland 1833 (1758-1833)

Thence probably by descent to his son, George Granville Leveson-Gower, 2^nd Duke of Sutherland (1786-1861)

Possibly W. S. Hobson, Leicester

James Orrock, London, circa 1901

With French & Company, New York

Extremely fine chairs in very distressed condition with tattered remnants of their original painted fabric upholstery and in need of extensive sympathetic restoration; much of the original painted and parcel gilt decoration to backrests is still stable, most painted and parcel-gilt decoration to seats rails and legs with extensive losses and flaking, all chairs with later brass brackets to undersides of frames; remarkable survival of superior examples of upholstery techniques of the late 18th century; all chair frames, backrests and drop-in seat frames with Roman numerals to undersides Chair VII Distressed condition, tattered remnants of original upholstery, losses to finials, right armrest lose, right front leg loose Chair VIII Distressed condition, tattered remnants of original upholstery , right armrest with crack at juncture of stile, left front leg with age crack to tops loose, age cracks to seat shame.
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.