Chair

Object Name:

Chair

Object ID:

1977.034.09.1

Place of Origin:

Portsmouth, NH (probably)

Date:

1760-1790

Description:

Side chair, probably Portsmouth, NH. Plain bow-shaped crest rail having unusually long ears, stiles having rounded backs, and pierced, scrolled central splat housed in molded shoe above back rail. Original hair stuffing, webbing and ticking intact beneath modern yellow damask slipcover. No corner blocks or braces. Square front legs each with bead at outer corner and chamfer on inner corner. Four C-shaped knee brackets, one on each side of front legs. Square outcurving back legs chamfered on all four corners, but in different degrees. Four rectangular stretchers: sides, back and medial. Painted with brown graining. Numerous nails and nailholes in seat rails indicating several reupholsterings. Paint worn in small areas. Fabric undercovering added using cut tacks. Small gouged areas in crest and on legs. Ticking on top of seat reinforced by stitching additional fabric over it covering entire top of seat except a strip at back. Left front bracket and right side bracket are probably ash, steam-bent and possibly replaced. Some checks at bottom of splat. Mahogany and probably maple. One of a pair.

Material:

Wood
Textile
Metal
Mahogany

Dimensions:

H-37 W-22.5 D-20.125 inches

Provenance:

According to an early printed label, "this chair is one of eight the originally belonged to Hon. John Wentworth Jr." See accession file for label that traces history of chair through several owners to its purchase in 1965 by John Wentworth of Chicago, a grandson of the original owner. The original owner, a Harvard graduate (1768), read law in Portsmouth before settling in Dover at the time of his marriage in 1771.

Credit Line:

Gift of Charles L. and Jane Kaufmann

People:

Wentworth, John, Jr. (1745-1787), Durell, Abra, Durell, Clarrissa, Wentworth, John (1815-1888)