Master Art

The boldly shaped back with elaborate vase shaped splat, veneered in burr yew wood with carved giltwood details of paper scrolls, c scrolls and acanthus leaves centred with a bell flower. The splat inlaid with an elaborate panel of verre églomisé in blue and gilt. The rounded seat centred with a carved gilded anthemion flanked by acanthus fronds. The two front cabriole legs headed by similar acanthus and scrolled ears and bellflowers terminating in octagonal faceted gilded feet.

This extraordinary chair is remarkable on so many levels; the elaborate design, use of burr yew wood together with the gilded detailing sets it aside from similar examples. The verre églomisé panel inlaid into the central splat is exceptional. The only other known example of the use of verre églomisé in a chair is in a set attributed to Thomas How made for the Earl of Scarsdale for Sutton Scarsdale Hall in Derbyshire.

Unlike most known examples of verre églomisé, the quality and detailing of this panel is outstanding. The method of manufacture of this panel involved bonding layers of blue and clear glass, etching through the blue glass creating detailing by matting and burnishing the design and then gilding.

At present, no other examples of this chair are known and its provenance currently remains a mystery with research on-going. The octagonal faceted feet are also highly unusual and feature on both the front and back legs.