Side chair

Date1760-1780

MediumMahogany, yellow pine, and white cedar

DimensionsOH: 37 3/4"; OW: 21"; OD: 19 3/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1981-184

DescriptionAppearance: Side chair with round topped, slightly concave crest rail with horizontally protruding ears and an ogee curve on bottom between the splat and each stile; splat tapered from top to bottom with four vertical piercings, each bridged midway with a small shaped connecting piece; stiles with backs rounded above seat rail; molded shoe; trapezoidal slip seat; side and front seat rails beaded on outer top edges; four marlborough legs with chamfered inner edges; rear legs raked slightly back; front legs beaded on outer edge and flanked by two C-scroll knee brackets each; plain H-plan stretchers with one rear stretcher.

Construction: all elements of mahogany except as noted; stiles and top of splat tenoned into crest rail; base of splat tenoned into shoe which is glued and nailed to rear seat rail; front and side seat rails tenoned and pinned into front legs; side seat rails through tenoned and pinned into rear into rear legs; rear seat rail tenoned and pinned into rear legs; side and front seat rails rabbeted to receive slip seat; side elements of yellow pine slip seat frame tenoned into front and rear elements; original one-piece, white cedar, quarter round blocks glued into rear corners of seat frame; original white cedar, vertical, two-piece blocks glued into front corners of seat frame; four C-scroll knee brackets glued and pinned into legs; medial stretcher half-dovetailed into side stretchers from below.
MarkingsFragmentary Roman numeral (probably "I") chiseled into underside of front slip seat element; "I" chiseled into rabbet of front seat rail.
ProvenanceAccording to source, chair has an oral tradition of a Delaware history, and comes from a set that was broken up "about a generation ago" at an estate sale.