A Very Fine and Rare William and Mary Maple Slat-Back Armchair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, attributed to Solomon Fussell, circa 1740

appears to retain its original dark reddish brown surface.

John T. Kirk, Early American Furniture; How to Recognize, Evaluate, Buy, & Care for the Most Beautiful Pieces--High-Style, Country, Primitive, & Rustic, (New York: Knopf, 1970), fig. 23, pp. 37-8.

replaced rush on slip seat probably done in the 19th century.
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.

As John Kirk stated, this chair is "bold, forceful, massive, grand, a perfect balance of large-scale and superbly shaped units" and that "the front stretcher alone would deserve display in the finest collection of American design."  The beautifully formed square-faced "crook'd" cabriole legs are a hallmark of the Philadelphia based Solomon Fussell shop who William Savery apprenticed with.  Fussell had a large number of patrons and was able to employ specialized turners and carvers.  As Solomon Fussell's surviving Account Book attests, a number of clients paid for their finial product in raw material such as maple boards.  One account lists "best kind, 5 arched slat, turned front, armchair, finished red."¹

A unique aspect of this chair is its canted arm supports.  Their inset nature relates to the inset arm supports found on early baroque cane back chairs and their forward motion gives a wonderful uplifting stance.²  This chair survives with an early red paint.  Fussell's records show that he offered chairs in black, brown, orange, white, Spanish brown, yellow ochre, and Venetian red.

¹ Beatrice B. Garvan entry in Philadelphia: Three Centuries of American Art, (Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1976), no. 24, pp. 27-8 and Benno M. Forman, "Delaware Valley 'Crookt Foot' and Slat-Back Chairs: The Fussell-Savery Connection," Winterthur Portfolio, vol. 15, no. 1. (Spring 1980), pp. 41-64.  For an analysis of William Savery's Queen Anne seating furniture see Philip D. Zimmerman, "Philadelphia Queen Anne chairs in Wright's Ferry Mansion," The Magazine Antiques, 149, no. 5 (May 1996), 736-45.
² Closely related armchairs were sold at Pook & Pook Inc., The Pioneer Americana Collection of Dr. and Mrs. Donald A. Shelley, April 20-21, 2007, lot 335 and 755 sold for $117,000 and $491,400 respectively.