Side Chair, Splat-Back

Date1780-1800

OriginAmerica, North Carolina or Virginia

MediumWalnut; yellow pine and tulip poplar (both modern)

DimensionsOH: 37 1/2"; H (Seat): 17 1/4"; OW (Seat):19 1/2"; D (seat): 16 1/2"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1960-840,1

DescriptionSide chair, splat back, one of a set of six. Nearly flat, slightly bowed crest rail with pointed ends; cyma shaping on bottom of crest rail; unbeveled solid splat with nearly straight sides tapering toward base; stiles with flat faces and slightly rounded backs; shallow cove-molded shoe with no top molding; trapezoidal seat; seat rails straight with slightly rounded upper edges; Marlborough front legs with slightly rounded outer edges; rear legs square in section and slightly tapered; box stretchers with slightly rounded top edges.

Replaced slipseats of yellow pine and tulip poplar.
Yellow pine slipseats for chairs: .1, .3-.6
Tulip poplar slipseats for chairs .2 and .5 (.5 has 2 slipseats)
Label TextThe design of this set of side chairs is typical of chairs known to have been made in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. It is quite similar to CWF 1963-27, chairs from North Carolina's Roanoke River Basin, and to a chair in the Virginia Historical Society that descended in the family of Governor Gooch of Virginia. All of these chairs were based on English prototypes for their design.
Inscribed"2905-1(illeg.) in black crayon inside left seat rail, partly obscured by late corner block.
MarkingsChiseled into rabbet of front seat rail:
.1 - "XI"
.2 - "II"
.3 - "XII"
.4 - "VII" or "XII" - looks more like V than X
.5 - "VII"
.6 - "V"

chiseled and in pencil into underside of slipseats:
.1 - "I" and "I"
.2 - "II" on tulip poplar slipseat
.3 - "VIII" or "VIIII" and "2"
.4 - "IIII" and "3"
.5 - "II" and "5" on yellow pine slipseat; "VII" on tulip poplar slipseat
.6 - "II" and "6"
ProvenanceAcquired by source when she lived in Wallingford, Pennsylvania, from Mrs. Mathiot, who may have inherited them from Edwin Atlee Barber, former curator of the Pennsylvania Museum. Mrs. Mathiot believed the chairs to have been owned by Governor William Gooch, but her belief was apparently based on the fact that she thought these chairs to be from the same set as the Gooch chairs at the Virginia Historical Society. However, the Gooch chairs differ in dimensions, construction, and stretcher design from the Colonial Williamsburg chairs and are neither from the same set or even the same shop.