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 musical trophy of a horn, harp and woodwind instrument within an oval lozenge flanked by flaming torches and foliate acanthus lozenges within a beaded tablet and flanked by flowerheads 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 scales in her right hand and a sword in her left hand representing Justice 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 flower-heads on tapered fluted acanthus carved baluster supports, the rounded drop-in seat with conforming decoration to the backrest, the central oval medallion painted with winged putti seated on clouds 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 III to the frame and backrest; the second chair with cresting rail centered by a carved sculptural trophy of a bust and sculptor's tools; the backrest painted with a female figure standing next to an anchor representing Hope, stamped IIII to the frame and backrest, the back of the chair marked 26.710. 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 III Distressed condition, tattered remnants of original upholstery, left finial replaced and now with a chip, front right leg with crack to top, apron loose, later corner blocks to front legs Chair IV Distressed condition, tattered remnants of original upholstery, chips to both finials, loss to side of top at juncture of stile with subsequent chip to top of stile, left stile and armrest with cracks at juncture of armrest, armrest now loose, losses to underside, lacking plug to back of stile, backrest lacing colonette to right side of frame, armrests loose, right front leg angled slightly inwards
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.