An Important Queen Anne upholstered open armchair, New York circa 1740

Retains a dark historic possibly original surface. A fragment of the original linen webbing and linen covering survives. Proper left front knee return restored.

John Walton, New York

Proper left front knee return restored; rear bracing glue blocks of front leg reglued; proper left rear leg rear return restored; proper right arm crack at junction of stile; proper left arm with putty in old nail holes; chair likely repegged; proper left rear leg with an inch patch to outer corner at junction of seat rail
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.

With a design based upon English prototypes, this graceful armchair is one of a very small group of like American Queen Anne armchairs stemming from the same shop with upholstered backs, open outward splaying arms and broadly proportioned upholstered seats. Six other closely related chairs of this design are known. Two identical walnut examples at the Metropolitan Museum of Art have a history in the Ludlow family of New York.¹ They were probably originally owned by William Ludlow (born 1707), who married Mary Duncan in 1731. One of walnut is in the collection of Winterthur Museum.²  A mahogany example is illustrated in Israel Sack Inc., American Antiques from Israel Sack Collection, Volume V, pp. 1322-3 while an unpublished example of walnut was sold by Leigh Keno, Inc. in 1991. A sixth chair of this type of mahogany with a history in the Van Rensselaer family of New York was formerly in the collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair and exhibited at A Loan Exhibition of New York State Furniture, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1934.³

The chairs in the group are attributed to New York on the basis of their English-inspired design and secondary woods of ash for the seat rails and poplar for the crest. They also display the construction characteristic associated with New York craftsmanship of rear returns that are tenoned into the large mortises of the rear stiles that also contain the tenons of the side seat rails. In addition, many of the chairs have histories in New York families. All similarly exhibit an arched crest rail with a lower edge following the curve of the upper; crests that are mortise-and-tenoned to the tops of the stiles; stiles that are a continuation of the rear legs that are shaped on the outside with the addition of separate blocks; side seat rails that are tenoned to the front rails, with each joint reinforced with two pins; legs that are attached to the front seat rail with large double-wedged dovetails; and glueblocks that consist of rear quarter-round blocks and large triangular blocks placed behind the front legs. As a group, they reflect a common shop tradition though minor differences suggest they were made as part of multiple closely related sets.

¹ See Morrison Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1985, no. 67, p. 116.
² See Joseph Downs, American Furniture, Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods, New York, 1952, no. 17.
³ See Christie's, Property from the Collection of Mrs. J. Insley Blair, January 21, 2006, lot 522.