Frank Lloyd Wright
Tall-Back Spindle Chair from the Warren Hickox House, Kankakee, Illinois
Property from a Private American Collection
Frank Lloyd Wright
Tall-Back Spindle Chair from the Warren Hickox House, Kankakee, Illinois
circa 1900
executed by John W. Ayers & Co.
oak, velvet upholstery
51 x 18 3/4 x 19 1/2 in. (129.5 x 47.6 x 49.5 cm)
Overall in very good condition. The oak surfaces throughout appear to retain their original rich dark finish and present with scattered surface scratches, minor abrasions, light edge wear and small nicks particularly concentrated to the legs as consistent with age and gentle use. Two spindles present with very minor edge wear and associated minor losses to the oak, the largest to the fifth spindle from the right on the front and measuring approximately 1 ½ inch, only visible upon close inspection. The chair presents with some light surface soiling concentrated to the recessed contours of the spindle back and consistent with age. The chair has been reupholstered in a forest green fabric at some point in the history of the piece which presents very well with light surface soiling and minor areas of wear. An example of the model is in the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. An excellent example of Frank Lloyd Wright’s quintessential tall-back spindle chair model.
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.
Michael Fitzsimmons, Chicago
Barbra Streisand, Los Angeles
Christie’s New York, The Barbra Streisand Collection, November 29, 1999, lot 498
Acquired from the above by the present owner
David A. Hanks, Frank Lloyd Wright, Preserving an Architectural Heritage, Decorative Designs from The Domino's Pizza Collection, exh. cat., New York, 1989, pp. 14 and 37 (for related models from the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois)
Leslie Greene Bowman, American Arts and Crafts: Virtue in Design, Los Angeles, 1990, p. 94 (for a related model from the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois)
William Allin Storrer, The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion, Chicago, 1993, p. 53 (for a discussion of the Warren Hickox House)
Thomas Heinz, Frank Lloyd Wright: Interiors and Furniture, London, 1994, front cover and pp. 34-35, 40 (for related models from the Susan Lawrence Dana House, Springfield, Illinois), 70, 72-73 (for related models from the Ward W. Willits House, Highland Park, Illinois)
Gerald W.R. Ward, Nonie Gadsden, Kelly L’Ecuyer and Melinda Talbot Nasardinov, American Decorative Arts and Sculpture, Boston, 2006, p. 159, fig. 27 (for an example of the model in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston)
Kathryn Smith, Wright on Exhibit: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architectural Exhibitions, Princeton, 2017, p. 10 (for a reference to the execution of these chairs by cabinetmaker John W. Ayers & Co., and a reference to the exhibition of the Hickox tall-back spindle chair form in the 1902 annual exhibition of the Chicago Architectural Club at the Art Institute of Chicago)