Side Chair, Hitchcock

Date1830-1840

MediumPainted wood, caned seats

DimensionsOH: 34 3/16"; OW: 17 15/16"; OD: 17 3/4"

Credit LineGift of Margaret Richardson Philbrick

Object number1984.2000.1,3

DescriptionSlat-back pillow-top Hitchcock-type chair with caned seat, one of a set of four. Painted red ground with black overpainting in tortoise-shell type design and decorated with bronze stenciling. "Pillow" outlined with gold striping, is stenciled with single flower flanked by horizontal multi-frond leaf. Center ball of turnings on either side of "pillow" painted gold. Rectangular slat stenciled with footed bowl of fruit, leaves and flowers. Stiles, slightly curved toward back, are stenciled with leaf-like pendant at top beneath a solid gold painted square. Centered on stiles are long thin gold vertically placed rectangles with three "commas" at each end. Stiles are flat on three sides to just above the seat where they are fully rounded and continue to form the rear legs which are slightly slanted to the rear. A gold band is painted on the front surface only of shallow-turned rings on stiles just above the seat. Caned rectangular seat gently flares toward front and is shaped along side rails. Rounded front rail stenciled with small central flower flanked by long, horizontal multi-frond leaves. Design set off by gold striping along top and double stripe on sides. Gold stripe decorates top of side rails as well. Turned front legs, narrow near the foot which ends in a ball, are decorated with gold bands and striping on front surfaces only, at top and just below joint with front stretcher. Front stretcher is ring-turned with central ball painted gold. Two stretchers on each side, one stretcher at back.
ProvenancePurchased in Hampton, N.H., by Mrs. Philbrick's mother for their farm in Greenland, N.H. Ownership prior to Richardson's unknown.