A very fine and rare Queen Anne carved and figured walnut side chair, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania circa 1760

The chair marked VI and slip seat frame marked IV.  Retains a dark historic surface. Proper left upper scroll of splat restored.

Chair VI, seat IV; proper left upper scroll of splat restored; knee returns some with later nailing; an inch patch to both left and right junctions of front seat lip to side seat lips
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 embodies the Queen Anne aesthetic in its proficient use of the serpentine line, achieving a sculptural effect by emphasizing form and minimizing ornament.  Its design is a variation of the fiddleback chair pattern, with paired volutes defining the upper section of the splat.  Though represented by a number of extant chairs, this pattern was relatively uncommon in Philadelphia seating furniture in the Queen Anne style.

An armchair perhaps made as part of the same set is in a private collection and illustrated as a "masterpiece" in Albert Sack, The New Fine Points of Furniture, New York, 1993, p. 29. A side chair appearing to stem from the set was formerly owned by Leigh Keno, Inc. Three other examples from two related sets are in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (see Morrison Heckscher, American Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1985, nos. 37-8, pp. 82-4). The former examples stem from the same set as a chair identified as being from the "collection of Amelia Foulke Custard 1789" (Haskell sale 3, lot 597). Family history notes that other side chair was originally owned by Governor Keith of Pennsylvania.