A Regency Period ‘Brighton Pavilion’ Bamboo Armchair c.1815-25

SOLD
Origin: English
Period: Regency
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1815-25
Width: 19.5”
Height: 32.75” or 16” at seat
Depth: 18”

The Regency bamboo armchair or elbow chair, in the Brighton Pavilion taste, and after the designs of William Chambers, the back with pierced stylised foliate panels with geometric designs with similar slatted sweeping side arm supports, the beautifully worked back with draught turned bone finials to a caned seat with applied cluster column legs surviving from the first quarter of nineteenth century England.

The chair has some expected losses to the foliate panels, as photographed, but as a whole it is about 80% in-tact, with possibly the front stretcher missing, and remains attractive it its entirety. It also remains useable and the cane-work seat is perfect so probably replaced at some stage. She would be best left as an ornamental chair and work of art. The missing fretwork could of course be restored if so desired and she is priced accordingly.

The vogue for Chinese-inspired interiors in England had been in its heyday in the middle of the eighteenth century, closely associated with the Rococo taste, and was declining in the later part despite some notable projects employing Chinese features, for example Thomas Chippendale´s work at Harewood House and Nostell Priory in the 1770s.

It appears that the Prince of Wales began to be interested in the style around 1790, when he commissioned the lavish interiors for the Chinese Drawing Room at Carlton House. From 1801 onwards, he went on to ´relieve the chaste (classical) interior of Brighton Pavillion´, where he wished for a ´gay and lively scheme of decoration that would be more appropriate for a seaside holiday palace´. (Clifford Musgrave, Regency Furniture, 1800 to 1830, London, 1970).

We believe this is the exact chair that sold for £1998 in Sale 9061 at Christies in London, as lot 457 at South Kensington on the 4th April 2001.

A beautiful work of art and a rare survivor.
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