Chair

Object Name:

Chair

Object ID:

1972.031

Place of Origin:

London, England

Date:

1685-1710

Description:

Side chair. Said to have been owned by Lieutenant-Governor John Wentworth (1671-1730). Beech and pine. Cane-back, with crest rail, carved and pierced with flowers and scrolls, framed between elaborately turned stiles having vase, block, ring ball and reel elements; carved flower against cross-hatched ground on face of each block element; turned ball-and-button finials, balls being carved. Tall, rectangular, cane back panel, bordered at sides by stiles carved and pierced with foliage and Flemish scrolls, and extending from crest rail to lower horizontal rail which is 5" above cane seat and carved with a central flower flanked by two S-scrolls. Top half of front legs is block, ring-and-vase turned. Flat front stretcher similar in design to crest rail. Four turned stretchers--side stretchers having vase, ball, ring and block elements; back and medial stretchers, vase-and-ring turned with squared ends. "P I [with horizontal line through I]" stamped on back of right rear upright, near intersection with seat frame. All members of back that are not turned are pine, as is front stretcher. Figure "22" stamped on bottom of front seat rail, on back of right front leg, and reverse of right stile of back at juncture with lower rail. Surface stained dark brown. Seat re-caned. Back seat rail, tenoned through stiles, is probably a replacement. Left stretcher split on bottom. Repair in carved work to left of cane back panel.

Material:

Wood
Beech
Pine
Cane

Dimensions:

H-50.5 W-17.5 D-20 inches

Provenance:

Known to donor's family as the "Governor Wentworth chair," but without a clear history. Said to be one of an original set of twelve. Possibly among the items said to have been acquired by the donor's family from the heirs of Dr. John and Benjamin Joy, as the latter's daughter was the wife of Lt.-Gov. John Wentworth's great-great-grandson.

Note with accession: "William and Mary chair traditionally known as the 'Governor Wentworth Chair.' It belonged to the 'Joy' family of Winchester, Mass. The Wentworths and the Joys intermarried in 1833."

Credit Line:

Gift of Phyllis A. Fox and Dorothy F. Crossley

People:

Wentworth, John (1671-1730)