A pair of Regency mahogany hall chairs circa 1810

the pelta backs carved with eagles` heads on leaf-carved shaped supports, on sabre legs 

These are in good `country house' condition. The colour and patina of both is very good. Both seats have characteristic seat indentations. One seat is cracked and the joints are loose on this chair. The seat is also slightly warped. The other chair has a repaired leg. Both have old marks and scratches and minor chips consistent with age and use. For further information on this Lot, please contact the English Furniture Department on 00 44 (0) 207 293-5470.
"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."

'Pelta' backs were a motif of classical origin, deriving from Roman shields or peltae, but the shape has Gothic connections as well, having been incorporated in diaper patterning in early Gothic churches in the west of England. Robert  Adam's Works in Architecture vol. 1, no. 4, plate 8 illustrates a related 'pelta' design, but with carved chimera heads.  Thomas Sheraton's Cabinet Dictionary (1803) pl. 31 illustrates a pelta back side chair with eagle heads.

A pair of very similar hall chairs, apparently by the maker of the offered lot, were sold Christie's London, 30 November 2000, lot 73. Another similar set of hall chairs were supplied to Syston Park, Lincolnshire, possibly by Gillows, and are shown in the library of the house in a mid-nineteenth century picture, reprinted, Sotheby's London, 13 June 2001, lot 120. Closely related chair backs can be seen in figs. 76 and 77 of M. Jourdain, Regency Furniture, rev. ed., London 1965.  A similarly related pair of chairs was sold Christie's London, 11 April 1985, lot 105.

The maker(s) of the above chairs is not known, but one of twelve hall chairs of similar design to the offered lot is illustrated in C. Gilbert, Pictorial Dictionary of Marked London Furniture, London, 1996, p.63 with the trade label of George Adams of the Minories in the City of London. These were bought for Mount Uniacke, Canada,  circa 1814.  George Adams was a subscriber to Sheraton's Cabinet Dictionary