Easy chair

Date1715-1730

MediumSoft maple and oak.

DimensionsOH: 49 3/4"; OW: 31 1/4"; OD: 20 1/2"

Credit LineGift of Col. and Mrs. Miodrag Blagojevich

Object number1977-336

DescriptionEasy chair with vertically backswept scrolled crest rail flanked by curvilinear wings; cone shaped arms terminating in double C-scrolls; forward arm scrolls set flush with front seat rail; seat trapezoidal; front seat rail vertically shaped featuring central arc flanked by S curves; turned front legs, side, medial, and rear stretchers; turnings feature bulbous vases flanked by disks, balusters, and chamfered blocks; Spanish front feet; rear legs square in profile and curve outward.
Label TextThe high back and turned legs and stretchers of this easy chair reflect the early baroque style. The comfort and luxury associated with easy chairs is visible in this early Boston example.

In 1729, Boston upholsterer Samuel Grant charged a patron £12 for a similar chair. Most of the price was for the imported English upholstery materials; only £2 went toward the locally made wooden frame. The present red wool fabric and decorative brass nails, which replicate the original treatment, were based on physical evidence remaining on the chair frame.
Inscribed"#,o,l" written in ink on original under upholstery linen of left wing.
ProvenancePurchased from Joe Kindig in 1956 or 1957 by Elizabeth and Miodrag Blagojevich.

Exhibition(s)