A Fine Pair of George II Burr and Figured Walnut Side Chairs attributed to William Hallett circa 1740

each chair each with chalked number A9740 to one seat rail.  One chair stamped VI and the other chair stamped VIII.  One drop in seat stamped VII the other stamped VIII.

Stair & Company, New York

Stair & Co., Handbook, New York, n.d. p. 9

Beautiful quality, beautiful color and surface and lovely figuring to the veneers, well carved. very good quality; overall good restored condition; overall with old marks, scratches, scuffs and bruises. Chair 'VI' the back splat with an age crack to the top right side on the right side to the back with some infilling; age crack to the central left and right scrolled elements of the splat with infilling with a shim to the right side, plug to the back side of the left element, and with tearing to the front veneers. shim to the right side of the base of the back splat at join with shoe; the top right corner of the cresting rail with loss to the veneer approximately 1 inch square; the seat rail with extensive worm damage to the veneers and with worm damage to the rails; two small patches to veneers of left side seat rail close to the front left corner; age cracks and infilling to the molded edge of the seat rail; 1 3/4-inch section to the left carved scrolled leaf to the apron beneath the central shell replaced and with a small chip to the tip; small loss to veneer of bottom of right seat rail at join with the front left leg; seat rail with old glue to joins of front corners; front left leg with three chips to pendants; front left foot with a square patch beneath the central claw and with a large deep chip to the back edge of the underside of the ball; worm damage to fee with scuffs, losses to finish and small chips, nicks and wear. Chair 'VIII' with scratches and wear to the back of the cresting rail; loss to horizontal molding beneath central foliate carved element of the cresting rail; age crack to top right side of the splat at the back side; age cracks to the tips of the central scrolled elements of splat with fillets and infilling to the back side; the left scrolled element with an age crack closer to the splat with some infilling; age crack to the base of the splat at the back side; the molded edge of the apron with age cracks, some shims and infilling; small patch to left side front corner of apron; apron with extensive old worm damage to veneers and with old worm damage to rails; joints of front corners with old glue, top of front rail with a canvas piece probably for support; loss to leaf tip of left scrolled leaf beneath the central shell; age cracks to the veneers of the apron; losses to two drops and to part of one petal of carving of left leg; underside of the front seat rail with old worm damage with old repaired break and with a later wood tie to underside; front right leg with extensive losses to the finish of the right side due to old water damage; feet with extensive losses and perishing to finish and with scuffs, bruises, nicks and chips to carving and extensive wear. Drop-in seats to chairs appear to be original and with some old worm damage.
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.

The present suite of chairs is directly related to the work of William Hallett, one of the most successful cabinet makers of the second quarter of the eighteenth century.  The use of the turned collar above the claw-and-ball foot is evident in much of Hallett's work, including a suite of side chairs commissioned by Arthur Ingram, 6^th Viscount Irwin, in 1735 for his London residence, and removed to Temple Newsam House, his country seat, in 1736.  This suite was sold first in 1922 and again, Sotheby's London, June 24, 1966, lot 127.  It was discussed by Christopher Gilbert, 'Newly Discovered Furniture by William Hallett', The Connoisseur, December 1964, pp. 224-225, shown with the original invoice. Another similar chair is illustrated in Ralph Edwards, English Chairs, London, 1970, 3^rd ed., no. 56.

A chair at Colonial Williamsburg with a related backrest, the top rail almost identical to those of the present chairs and settee but without carving, is illustrated, R. L. Hurst, ed., The Antique Treasures of Colonial Williamasburg, 2000, pp. 24-25.  This side chair has front legs with hoofed feet that are more elaborately carved but of the same form as those on a suite of furniture attributed to Hallett and made for the Dining Room at Stanwick, Yorkshire, see Lucy Wood, The Upholstered Furniture in the Lady Lever Art Gallery, 2008, vol. I, chairs, p. 360, figs. 230-232, and a table, p. 361, fig. 233.

A double-chairback settee with similar scrolling top rail and a foliate-carved shaped central panel above a vasiform backrest detached from the top and joined at the sides is illustrated, H. Cescinsky, English Furniture from Gothic to Sheraton, 1929, Grand Rapids: The Dean-Hicks Company, p. 182.  The apron has inverted shells that are reversed on the present settee.  Another related suite of furniture from the Master's House, Peterhouse College, Cambridge, is also illustrated by Cescinsky, op. cit., p. 184, with similarly carved shells and husks to the tops of the cabriole legs, the illustrated side chair from the suite with similarly sized claw-and-ball feet to those of the present suite.  Finally, Cescinsky, op. cit., illustrates a side chair with shell- and husk-carved cabriole legs with ring-turned collars that is most similar to those of the present suite, the brackets of the legs carved in the same manner as the Temple Newsam suite.  A settee from the collection of Percival Griffiths with a related backrest and ring-turned collars to the cabriole legs is illustrated, Macquoid and Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, 1986, rev. ed., vol. III, p. 83, fig. 28.  The feather-carved pierced birds' head terminals are also found on a pair of armchairs, Handbook, Hyde Park Antiques, New York, vol. III, p. 20.

Various settees, probably by Hallett and with similar cabriole legs with ring-turned collars were sold: one sold in these rooms, March 15, 1980, lot 66; Phillips, London, collection of Polly Peck International, 42 Berkeley Square, February 19, 1991, lot 88 and later sold, Christie's, London, July 1, 2004, lot 26 (£59,750), another, Sotheby's, London, November 15, 1996, lot 29;, and an armchair, sold, Christie's, New York, October 14, 2004, lot 65.

William Hallett was one of the most fashionable cabinet makers working in the second quarter of the 18th century and was possibly the partner of the firm of Vile and Cobb. Because of his inheritance, successful property ventures and his marriage to a cousin with a large dowry, Hallett amassed a fortune and was able to spend less time involved with furniture making, delegating those duties to his son, William Jr. His clients included the 4th Duke of Beaufort at Badminton, Augusta, Princess of Wales, 1st Earl of Leicester at Holkham, Sir Matthew Featherstonhaugh at Uppark, 2nd Earl of Lichfield at Ditchley Park, 7th Earl of Pembroke at Wilton House, and 3^rd Lord Burlington.