A wonderful Carolean period solid walnut armchair of large and capacious proportions.
Supremely comfortable and very robust.
Of truly excellent colour and having an ntirely natural rich and glowing patina.
The chair has been newly re-upholstered in a thick and high quality velvet with pomegranate pattern – a fruit and pattern which was often seen in Charles I and II Jacobean crewelwork embroidery and which suits this chair very well. The velvet ground colour is a slate green with the pattern in yellows, creams, whites, greys, amber and magenta. The chair back and seat are wide and well padded.
All of the timbers and all of the carving is original and the maker has really excelled in his art.
The arms emerge from the frame in the form of the head of a stylised beast – the shaped and reeded length of the arm appears to be gripped in its mouth and the arms terminate in wide reeded, leafy carved scrolls.
The arm supports are reel turned and this work is so fine, the lips of the reels so slender. It is difficult to imagine long it took to turn a solid block post of walnut into this delicate work using only a foot driven or water driven lathe – always with the risk of hitting a knot in the walnut and having to start again. The legs and stretchers are bobbin turned.
The stretcher between the front legs has been superbly carved and pierced from a solid piece of timber and with exuberant foliate C scrolls. Each of the blocks above the front feet and which intersect the side stretchers is carved with an open flower head. All the feet are original shaped and blocked within the same walnut post continuous with the legs.
This wonderful and rare early English walnut armchair is of superior quality and design.
An original Carolean Chair dating from 1670 in excellent robust and solid condition and very comfortable indeed.