A Rare Chippendale Inlaid Mahogany Easy Chair, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, circa 1790

Israel Sack, Inc., New York

Frame not examined under upholstery
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.

A nearly identical chair with the same unusual square cabriole rear legs was once own by Israel Sack, Inc.¹  That chair was inscribed on the back of the crest rail R. Hart for Richard Hart, a prominent Portsmouth merchant.²  Another related chair is in the collections of Winterthur Museum.³ 

¹ American Furniture from Israel Sack Collection, vol 3, (Washington, D.C.: Highland House Publishers Inc., 1972), p. 749, no. P3373.
² Brock Jobe, Portsmouth Furniture: Masterworks from the New Hampshire Seacoast, (Boston, MA: Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, 1993), p. 431-2.
³ Nancy E. Richards and Nancy Goyne Evans, New England Furniture at Winterthur: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods, (Winterthur, DE: The Henry Francis du Pont Winterthur Museum, 1997), no. 88, pp. 162-4.