A Very Fine and Rare Queen Anne Carved and Figured Walnut Compass-Seat Side Chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania circa 1750

seat rail numbered VII.  Iron braces are inset at back juncture of stiles with crest.

John S. Walton, Inc., New York

seat frame replaced; front seat lip restored; proper right side seat lip restored; wrought iron braces added to back of stile and crest rails.; refinished
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.

This side chair is amongst the most fully developed extant interpretations of Late Baroque seating furniture from Philadelphia. Patterned after English Georgian chairs of the 1730s, its sculptural design incorporates the S curve celebrated by William Hogarth as the "line of beauty" on nearly every surface, from the contours of the crest rail down to the compass seat and cabriole legs. Its craftsman has further accentuated the rhythmic flow of the curves by fully rounding the stiles and integrating them into the crest rail. He repeated the crest motifs on the legs and the curve of the cabriole legs in the stiles in order to enhance and unify the overall design.  

A closely related Philadelphia armchair of comparable design and quality, most probably from the same cabinet shop as the present lot, was sold in these rooms, Important Americana, October 7, 2006, sale no. 8209, lot 318 for $2,256,000. Seven very similar Philadelphia high style side chairs have been published by Israel Sack, Inc.¹ Two additional closely related examples are in the collections of Bayou Bend and the Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design.²

¹ See Israel Sack Inc., American Furniture from Israel Sack Collection, Volume P4604, pp. 1530-1 for six side chairs and Sack, Vol. VII, P4878, p. 1716 for a single chair.
² See David Warren, et al, American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection, Houston, 1998, F47, p. 28 and Christopher Monkhouse and Thomas Michie, American Furniture in Pendleton House, Providence, 1986, no. 106, p. 165.