An impressive set of fourteen Victorian carved oak dining chairs in the manner of Richard Bridgens, circa 1840

including two armchairs, each with a pierced and scroll carved padded back and stuff over seat upholstered in buttoned red leather, each standard chair with brass castors

Illustrated Gordon Nares, Country Life, Newton Surmaville, Somerset - II, September 12th 1952, p. 763, fig. 10, in the dining room.

Good solid overall condition with the exception of one of the chairs which has a detached back leg from an old, previously restored break. The leather upholstery is very worn with many rips. One chair has a detached section of moulding. To discuss this lot in greater detail please call Edward Rising or David Macdonald on 0207 293 5107 or 0207 293 5507.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The arrival at Newton Surmaville of these chairs, together with the sofa in lot 358, would have coincided with a period of great change at the old house. The overmantels in the Tapestry Drawing Room and Tapestry Room were re-arranged, the installation of flamboyant plaster work, panelling and chimney pieces all conceived in what was a romanticised interpretation of the Jacobean style. For new furnishings within this 'antiquarian' scheme, the Harbin family may well have turned to well known cabinet makers working to high specification, as these dining chairs and the sofa are of extremely good quality. 

These revivalist pieces would have been considered not only very avant garde, but an appropriate reference to the past for a house of the early 17th century.

The forms recall the work of Richard Bridgens (1785-1846). He published Furniture with Candelabra and Interior Decoration in 1827 with a revised edition in 1838. This design book is divided into two sections; there are twenty-seven plates featuring 'Elizabethan' designs and twenty-four plates of 'Grecian' designs. It also included plates of extant early pieces recorded by Bridgens.

Aston Hall, Birmingham was the home of James Watt Junior and where George Bullock and Richard Bridgens enjoyed his extensive patronage. Some of Bridgens designs for Aston Hall were sold by Sotheby's, The James Watt Sale, 20th March 2003, lots 334-362. We see the same Ionic capitals on the legs of the chairs and sofa in a Bridgens design for a side table in the salon at Aston. This idea of celebrating, even re-interpretating the past through new design within an overall scheme, relates to the work carried out at Newton Surmaville during the 19th century.