Doe and Hope

Description

The beautifully crafted George III period hoop-back Windsor armchair, constructed entirely in walnut, having a ten-stick high comb hoop back with two cast riveted iron brace struts to the rail. the scroll detailing to the shaped arms to a shaped saddle seat, to conforming turned legs and H-stretcher the whole with a stunning patina and colour and surviving from the last quarter of eighteenth century England.

In desirable original condition, the chair is comfortable and is structurally sound, with a fantastic patina and colour. The feet have been re-tipped at some stage but there are no other signs of any later restoration. The iron strapwork braces are of a wonderful colour too and would have been used as walnut could not be bent in the way that, say, fruitwood could have. There is no signs of any worm or other damages.

The Windsor chair is recognised as one of the classics of English country furniture While it is thought that the name of the English Windsor chair derives from its creation in the Windsor area, the High Wycombe area is well known as a key part of the country where these chairs were made. The most famous of them all is the armchair design. This has a single piece of wood curved round the chair to form the arms and the back. Windsor chairs were made in a wide range of styles and there are distinct regional variations from all over Britain and the USA where the form was equally popular. Period Windsor chairs, when they were new, were painted and they were frequently made from different types of wood and thus the paint tied the pieces together.

Windsor chairs are usually crafted in beech, elm, yew, fruitwoods or oak and this chair would have been very expensive at the time being made entirely in walnut.

We have never seen a Windsor chair of this period entirely in walnut this, with the supreme colour, wonderful ironwork and tremendous form makes this a real showstopper.