Side chair, splat-back

Dateca. 1770

MediumMahogany and white pine

DimensionsOH: 39 1/4" H. to seat: 17 3/4" OW (seat): 22 3/4" OD (seat): 18"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1964-269,1A

DescriptionAppearance: Serpentine cresting rail composed of series of five small arches at center flanked by scrolled section at either end, molded on upper and lower edge, the moldings terminating in carved, foliate scrolls at either end; shaped, tapering stiles, rounded at rear, molded on front surface; broad, pierced splat flanked by opposing C-scrolls on either side at top and bottom; the upper section of splat is pierced with five curved, rectangular lobes, arched and surrounded by raised band of ribbon design at top; oval cut out at center into which is set a stemmed trefoil rising from a gothic, trefoil arch filled at base with C-scrolls and lobes; broad, square seat frame, molded on upper edge; straight, plain skirt on all sides; front legs straight and square in cross section, the front and outside surface molded and carved with central beed and reel design; this design extends about 1 inch from base of legs; inside edge of front legs chamfered; rear legs square in section, kick to rear and chamfered on inside edge; legs braced by four, rectangular stretchers, one each at sides and rear and one medial.

Woods: white pine corner blocks in all four chairs; white pine and cherry in slipseat.
Label TextChairs of this general form were very popular among the craftsmen of New York and their patrons, and a number of them have survived. While leg designs vary from Marlborough to fret carved to cabriole, all make use of the same splat designs, which was taken from plate XII of Chippendale's 1762 GENTLEMAN & CABINET-MAKER'S DIRECTOR. Like most New York chairs of this period, this example has very broad proportions. Part of a group of four now at Colonial Williamsburg, it has a history in the Glen and Sanders families of Scotia, New York.
Markings"VII" inside rear seat rail.
ProvenanceThe exact history of these chairs is unknown. They may be the chairs referred to in an 1892 inventory of the house which read "Large Mahogany claw and ball foot chairs came from the Philippe Van Renselaer, also two large chairs one with rockers one also Mahogany." If it can be assumed that these last two chairs are two of this set (two of the four now at CW had rockers added to them), and that they also were owned by Philip Van Rensselaer, then the history of the chairs is relatively easy to plot. The chairs may also be those referred to in two documents, one dating from 1798, the other from 1807. The earlier, dated Albany, April 7, 1798 is a bill from James Linacre to a Mr. Almandorf (Sic) for, among other things: "To Rockers for p A chairs 0-3-0." The second bill, dated Albany, December 14, 1807 is also from James Linacre to Mr. Elmendow (Sic) "to two pare of rockers for Chairs 0"6"0"." One of the chairs (1964-269) appears in a photograph of the Scotia parlor taken in 1912, with its rockers attached. (Copies of all of the bills and photographs cited are in OF.) Thus, if all of the above evidence can be taken as referring to these chairs the probable line of descent is as follows: Philip Van Rensselaer (1747-1798), to his son-in-law, Peter Edmund Elmendorf II (1764-1835), to his son-in-law, Peter Sanders (1792-1850), to his son, Charles P. Sanders (1824-1891), to his son Charles P. Sanders II (1856-1923), to his son, J. Glen Sanders (1892-1961), to his widow Pearl, to Colonial Williamsburg.