A set of fourteen George II walnut dining chairs attributed to Giles Grendey Circa 1740

comprising two armchairs and twelve side chairs, each armchair with vasiform back splat above a drop-in seat flanked by shaped armrests with scroll-carved handholds, raised on cabriole legs joined by shaped stretchers.  The back rails variously stamped with Roman numerals I, II, II, III, III, IV, V, V, VI, VIII, XI, XII and variously stamped TT, IC, WH, NL, TM, TI, and G.

Overall good condition; chairs sturdy and sold; with a wax-polished surface and with remnants of old dark patina; typical scratches, bruises, nicks and scuffs to aprons, legs and srtetchers; nicks and chips and wear to feet. Chair II - stamped WH, good condition; glue residue to tops of brackets to interior sides of rails - front right side bracket replaced; other brackets appear to be original. Chair III - old repaired break to top right corner of cresting rail; later batten to interior back rail to support the drop-in seat; front left corner bracket replaced. Chair IV - marked TT to back rail; old repaired break to back of shoe; later corner blocks; front left bracket replaced; front right bracket possibly replaced, some old worm damage to frame of drop-in seat which is marked III. Chair II - stamped IC to back rail; later corner blocks to support drop-in seat; minor old worm damage to frame of drop-in seat. Chair XI - with age crack to top rail at top right corner; bracket to front left leg replaced; front right corner bracket replaced; back feet spliced; front right foot with large loss to back right side; later corner blocks to support drop-in seat. Armchair - stamped WH to back rail; extra plug to back of right armrest at join with right stile; left armrest with old repaired break at join with armrest support; left scrolled handhold with replaced section to bottom half of scrolled terminal; front left side bracket replaced; back left let with deep chips to bottom edges. Chair VIIII- with old repaired break to cresting rail above join with right stile; age cracks to left corner of cresting rail and with an additional plug at join with left stile; base of splat with two repaired breaks to bottom corners; old repaired break to back of shoe; front right foot with polished old loss to front molded edge; later corner blocks to support drop-in seat; repaired split to center of back right leg at join with stretcher and with some old glue residue; drop in seat stamped XII and with replaced back rail and with later corner supports. Chair V - stamped IC to back rail; right stretcher with age cracks and slight splitting, which is stable; old worm damage to drop-in seat. Chair I - stamped NL to underside of back rail; back stretcher with losses to underside and now polished; back left foot with old worm damage and losses due to worm; old repaired break to back right leg at join with stretcher; age crack to front right foot; drop in seat stamped II and with some old worm damage. The other armchair - marked TM (later marked) to back rail; old repaired break to cresting rail above join with right stile; minor age crack to top of right armrest support; extra peg to front right corner of apron above front right leg; later corner blocks to front corners. Chair XII - stamped G to inside edge of back rail - with patch to top of left stile; front right bracket replaced; back right foot with polished loss to back edge; drop-in seat stamped V and with minor old worm damage. Chair V - stamped TI to underside of back rail; front right bracket replaced; right side bracket lacking; front right foot with large chip to pad; front left foot with old age cracks and some worm. Chair III - stamped TT to back rail; patch to front left corner to top of shoe; old polished loss to underside of back stretcher; back right leg with old polished loss to back corner; two later corner blocks to back corners; drop-in seat with some old worm damage. Chair VI - stamped IC to back rail; cresting rail with old repaired break above join with left stile; chips to bottom of feet; some worm damage to drop-in seat.
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.

Giles Grendey (1693-1780), furniture maker and timber merchant, is probably best know for the suite of furniture he produced for the Duke of Infanto at Lazcano castle in northern Spain.  That suite contained over eighty pieces of scarlet-japanned furniture (for an illustration of chair, see Christopher Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, Leeds: NACF and Leeds Art Collections Fund, 1978, vol. I, pp. 79-81 fig. 61).  The chairs, of which there are over sixty, have a shaped medial stretcher between side stretchers and a high back stretcher, characteristics which are also found on the offered set of chairs.  Like the Infanto chairs, the back rails of the present lot have the impressed initial of a number of journeymen.  Chair makers in Grendey's workshop usually stamped the back rails with their initials.

A similar set of chairs attributed to Giles Grendey with identical stretchers and also stamped with journeymen's initials were sold in these rooms, April 16-17, 1998, lot 802.