A Queen Anne walnut compass-seat side chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania circa 1750

The chair marked IV and original slip seat frame marked V.

Chair marked IV and original slip seat marked V; secondary wood is yellow pine
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 a rare survival as few chairs of this pattern with flattened serpentine stretchers are known. With continuous curves covering its entire form, it stands as a supreme manifestation of Queen Anne style seating furniture from Philadelphia.

A side chair appearing to stem from the same set is in the collection of Winterthur Museum and illustrated in Joseph Downs, American Furniture: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods, New York, 1952, no. 112. The inscription on that chair indicates it has a history in the Shoemaker (Schumacher) family and it may have been originally made for Benjamin Shoemaker (1704-1767), mayor of Philadelphia in 1753. Another example, number II of the set, is in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and illustrated in William Hornor, Blue Book Philadelphia Furniture, Alexandria, VA, 1988, pl. 302 as the property of Mrs. Rachel W. Bilderback. An armchair from the set is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and illustrated in John Kirk, American Chairs, Queen Anne and Chippendale, New York, 1972, no. 49, p. 70. The latter is recognized as a "masterpiece" in The New Fine Points of Furniture by Albert Sack, New York, 1993, p. 27.