THE BROWN FAMILY SET OF SIX VERY FINE AND RARE Queen Anne MAHOGANY COMPASS-SEAT SIDE CHAIRS, NEWPORT OR PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, CIRCA 1775

Chairs appear to retain their original surface;chair and matching slip seats are numbered I,II,III,IIII,VI, VII. Chair I and chair VII with slip seat inscribed in ink Brown. Together with a nearly identical Queen Anne Maple Compass-Seat Side Chair, Newport or Providence, Rhode Island, circa 1775; Height 38 1/4  in., chair marked V; slip seat marked I. 7 pieces.

Set of Chairs:
Brown Family, Providence, Rhode Island;
John S. Walton, sold in January 20, 1951 for $1,400;
Henry Francis duPont, Winterthur, Delaware, used in the Charleston dining room;
Winterthur Museum, Winterthur, Delaware (acc. no. 51.64.2);
Sotheby's, New York, Janaury 30, 1995, Important Americana, sale 6660, lot 1983;
Walton Antiques Inc., Griswold, Connecticut

Maple chair:
Cora Ginsburg, Inc., New York, October 1991

John A.H. Sweeny, The Treasure House of Early American Rooms, (New York: Viking Press, 1963), p. 76

All chairs secondary wood is maple; all chairs experience wear to knees and pad feet commensurate with age; front surface of back with loss and wear commensurate with age; chair I with a 1/2 in. by 1/4 in. patch to top of crest rail that is cabinetmaker's error because of mortise for splat; chair II with a 2 in. by 2 in. chip to proper right rear foot; chair III has 1 in. by 1/2 in. chip to proper left rear heel; chair IIII 1 in. by 1/4 in. patch to top of crestrail that was cabinetmaker's error because of mortise for splat; has accession number 51.64.4; chair VI has proper right front knee return replaced; chair VII seat rails were fitted with later braces which have henceforth been removed; together with an additional modern slip seat Maple side Chair: Secondary wood is chestnut; chair has been refinished
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.

For information on a nearly identical set of chairs see Nancy E. Richards and Nancy Goyne Evans with Wendy A. Cooper and Michael S. Podmaniczky, New England Furniture at Winterthur: Queen Anne and Chippendale Periods, (Winterthur, DE: Winterthur Museum, distributed by University Press of New England, 1997), pp. 62-3, no. 35.