Sample Chair Fragments

Date1825-1835

OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

MediumWood (tulip poplar?), paint, gilding

DimensionsCrest Rail: OH: 3 5/16"; OW: 14 15/16"; OD: 1/4" Slat #1: OH: 2 3/4"; OW: 15"; OD: 1/4" Slat #2: OH 3 5/8"; OW: 13 15/16"; 1/4"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, partial funding by Milly McGehee

Object number2007-88,1-3

DescriptionThree grain painted and gilded sample chair fragments. 1) Crest rail; 2) back slat; and 3) back slat.
Label TextThese sample chair parts (1 crest rail and 2 back slats) demonstrate faux-graining and decorative motifs used on painted Philadelphia chairs of the second to third decades of the 19th centuries. CWF has one example of such a chair (acc. #2004-18) attributed to the shop of John W. Patterson. The chair slats show both rosewood and tiger maple graining on the fronts and backs of each indicating that they were never actually used in chairs. The crest rail has two different designs painted on the front and back, with one of those two gilded. The crest rail sample is also flat (in a chair it would be curved) again indicating that it was never part of a chair. Whether these samples were copied by the chair decorators or shown to customers as examples of the available options is not known. Either way, they are wonderful examples of the variations and options available to consumers during this period.