THE MIFFLIN FAMILY VERY FINE AND RARE WILLIAM AND MARY TURNED AND BLACK-PAINTED MAPLE BANISTER-BACK ARMCHAIR, PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, CIRCA 1730 |

retains an early black painted surface.

Acquired May 2, 1922 at the estate auction of the poet and painter Lloyd Mifflin (1846-1921), Norwood, Columbia, Pennsylvania. This chair is said to have belonged to Governor Thomas Mifflin (1744-1800);
Northeast Auctions, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, New Hampshire Auction: American and European Antiques, August 1990, lot 302;
Vogel Collection no. 536.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Worldly Goods: The Arts of Early Pennsylvania, 1680- 1758, October 10, 1999-January 10,  2000.

Patricia Petraglia, “Pennsylvania Items head up $1.2 Million Bourgeault Sale,” Antiques and the Art Weekly, August 24, 1990, p. 30;
Jean Butler, “Pennsylvania Desk Tops Manchester Sale,” Maine Antique Digest, October 1990, p. 26-D;
Patricia Petraglia, American Antique Furniture: Styles and Origins, (New York, Smithmark Publishers Inc., 1992), p. 35;
Jack Lindsey, Worldly Goods: The Arts of Early Pennsylvania, 1680-1758, (Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1999), no. 149, p. 171.

Overall very fine condition. Wear, rubbing to the painted surface, and minor losses to edges commensurate with age and use.
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.

A number of chairs with molded or flat-faced banister backs were produced in Delaware Valley shops. They had lathe-molded or carved crests and incorporated various turned elements in their legs, stretchers, and arm supports. The arms of these chairs also have a variety of undulating carved and molded profiles. Some have flat, sawn faces and squared, cut con­tours on their arms, while other examples are fully molded and have rounded more flowing shapes. Most also include a variation of turned-under, scroll-shaped sawn or carved handholds. Among the most interesting from a technical standpoint are those that incorporate half-round, turned, arched crest rails, which were formed on a lathe as a full-round and then halved to create the arch shape. The banisters onto which these crests are joined are placed so that their molded profiles meet, creating a continuous line with the crest. The flat, molded profiles of the banisters and arched crests found on the majority of these chairs are flanked by and contrasted with the rounded forms and crisp profiles of their turned back stiles. Variations of this arched-crest form are found in a number of side chairs, arm­ chairs, and daybeds produced in Pennsylvania about 1725-45.  For related examples see Sotheby’s, New York, The Collection of Mr. And Mrs. Walter M. Jeffords, October 28, 2004, sale 8016, lots 241 and 242; Pook & Pook Inc., Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Period Furniture, Fine Art, & Accessories, January 14, 2012, lot 31.