A Very Fine and Rare Chippendale Mahogany and Poplar Easy Chair, Hartford County, Connecticut, circa 1775-1790

Sotheby’s, Fine Americana, June 27, 1991, sale 6201, lot 360.

Maine Antiques Digest, August 1991.

Secondary wood is poplar; proper left and right junctions of crest rail and stiles reinforced with later triangular glue blocks; peaks of crest rail have been reinforced with linen and glue; horizontal mid-brace to back rest is replaced; upholstery on chair-back is removable; some old marks and scratches and scuffs to legs and stretchers. In July of 1991, wood samples were taken from this chair and micro-analyzed at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The micro-analysis identified that the right rear stile is made of yellow polar; the innermost piece of the left cone is made of cherry; the mid-piece of the left cone is made of yellow poplar; the rear seat rail is made of yellow poplar; and the applied serpentine piece of the front rail is made of Eastern white pine. A visual inspection indicates the frame is made of yellow poplar with the exception of the specified pieces mentioned above, the two pine spacers attached to the stile and wing assembly, and the innermost vertical piece on the right cone is made of cherry. The front legs and stretchers are mahogany. Appears to be in good condition but the frame has not been examined in its entirety.
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.

Of exceptional quality and proportion, this elegant easy chair follows the classic design of the form made in New England, characterized by an arched crest, ogival wings, outscrolled arms with conical supports, a rounded seat, and cabriole legs with claw and ball feet joined by stretchers.

The distinctive cabriole legs with uncarved knees, finely articulated claw and ball feet and stretchers suggest the Hartford, Connecticut area as the place of origin. Eliphalet Chapin (1741-1807) of East Windsor made sets of chairs with very similar claw feet for Ebenezer Grant (1706-1797) in 1775 and for Alexander King (1749-1831) in 1781 (see Kugelman, Thomas P. and Alice K. Kugelman with Robert Lionetti. Connecticut Valley Furniture: Eliphalet Chapin and His Contemporaries, 1750-1800, Hartford, 2005, fig. 3.2 and 3.3, p. 135 and cat. 57d, p. 146.)  Remarkably consistent and meticulous in his workmanship, Chapin executed virtually identical claw feet for the Grant and King sets with slightly flattened balls with short wedge-shaped talons.  His claw feet are reminiscent of the type made in Philadelphia, where Chapin worked as a journeyman. The use of stretchers in combination with claw and ball feet is atypical for the Chapin shop and suggests the chair may be the work of a former apprentice.

In July of 1991, wood samples were taken from this chair and micro-analyzed at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The micro-analysis identified that the right rear stile is made of yellow polar; the innermost piece of the left cone is made of cherry; the mid-piece of the left cone is made of yellow poplar; the rear seat rail is made of yellow poplar; and the applied serpentine piece of the front rail is made of Eastern white pine. A visual inspection indicates the frame is made of yellow poplar with the exception of the specified pieces mentioned above, the two pine spacers attached to the stile and wing assembly, and the innermost vertical piece on the right cone is made of cherry. The front legs and stretchers are mahogany.