Images(2)

Easy Chair

Date1780-1795

OriginAmerica, Rhode Island, Newport

MediumMahogany, cherry, white pine, and tulip poplar (replaced)

DimensionsOH: 47"; OW: 34 1/2"; SD: 22"

Credit LineGift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph H. Hennage

Object number1990-283

DescriptionAppearance: Upholstered easy chair with rounded crest rail, rounded shaped wings, vertically scrolled arm supports, straight skirt, straight legs square in cross section, the front legs stop-fluted, side medial, and rear stretchers rectangular in cross section.

Construction:
Seat rails tenoned into legs and pegged; added white pine (modern) blocks on top of seat rails to raise edge; side stretchers tenoned into legs, medial stretcher dovetailed to side stretchers from below; stiles tenoned and pegged to chamfered crest rail; upper medial cherry back tacking rail is tenoned into stiles; lower tulip poplar back tacking rail (modern) rests on blocks positioned on top of the rear seat rail at either end; horizontal and vertical side tulip poplar tacking rails (modern) are notched into the extant frame and nailed with modern wire nails; rear legs are one piece with rear stiles' white pine arm cones with horizontal cherry arms rest on top of and are notched to vertical medial arm stiles.

Woods: Mahogany (primary), cherry (primary and secondary), white pine (secondary, in vertical arm cones, and blocks ontop of seat rail (modern)), and tulip poplar (secondary, side and lower back tacking rails which all appear to be later additions). (Combination microscopy or identification by eye.)

Label TextEasy chairs, like other chairs of the mid to late-18th century, had straight or curved (cabriole) legs. While makers in other regions opted either for plain or molded (with a shaped surface) straight legs, Newport craftsmen chose to embellish their straight legs with stop-fluting. That was to carve channels (flutes) in the upper portion of the leg but leave the lower portion with the flutes filled with a convex, rod-like element. While this detail was often used on quarter columns on furniture, echoing classical architectural columns, only Newport cabinetmakers chose to incorporate stop-fluting onto square legs.
ProvenanceMrs. Richard C. Ernst
Israel Sack, Inc.

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