A VERY RARE PERHAPS UNIQUE WILLIAM AND MARY BLACK-PAINTED CARVED MAPLE BANNISTER-BACK SIDE CHAIR, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, CIRCA 1720 |

with an elaborate crest rail and conforming front stretcher.

John S. Walton, New York, August 1973;
Vogel Collection no. 182.

Jonathan L. Fairbanks and Elizabeth Bidwell Bates, American Furniture: 1620 to the Present, (New York: R. Marek, 1981), p. 74;
Erik K. Gronning, “Luxury of Choice: Boston’s Early Baroque Seating Furniture,” American Furniture 2018, ed. Luke Beckerdite, (Milwaukee, WI: Chipstone Foundation, 2018), figs. 94, 175 and 176.

In overall fine condition. Wear commensurate with age and use. There are a few areas that have been cleaned down to the wood and some areas where samples have been extracted from the wood. The carved stretcher was previously cracked and glued. Width: 18 3/4 in.; Depth: 17 1/4 in.
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.

Few Massachusetts early Baroque chairs were made with their crests placed upon the stiles rather than being placed between them.  Structurally this crest is weaker and catastrophic damage is more likely when the chair falls.  A small group of leathered upholstered chairs have this crest placement but this is the only known banister-back example.  A banister-back with related crest and front stretcher is in a Pennsylvania collection, but it has molded banisters and the crest is captured between the stiles.  For additional information on Boston’s early Baroque seating furniture see Erik K. Gronning, “Luxury of Choice: Boston’s Early Baroque Seating Furniture,” American Furniture 2018, ed. Luke Beckerdite, (Milwaukee, WI: Chipstone Foundation, 2018).