A pair of George III inlaid mahogany curule-form hall armchairs circa 1760

each with chalked number 1309 to the underside.

Overall good restored condition with old marks scratches, scuffs and bruises, some old replacements to veneers in places; variations to construction. The first with an old repaired break to the right side of back rest; two plugs to left arm rest above join with left arm rest support; two long age cracks to seat one with a wood fillet and with stress tears to front left corner; old repaired break to front right leg now with a metal brace to underside; front left leg with a repaired break with inpaining and infilling and with an old screw and plug to the underside, small chip to veneer to underside; two later screws to underside of apron; patch approximately 6in. by 1 ½ in. to underside of back apron; front left foot with a veneer to the inside edge; front right foot with veneer patches to the sides; triangular patches to veneers of feet. The other chair with one long age crack to the seat now with a wood fillet; four large triangular form patches to the veneer of the seat to the front edge and with some minor stress tears; chips and losses to the veneers of the seat at the back edges; old repaired breaks between the seat and legs now with two screws to the underside of each apron and with subsequent age cracks to the veneers; front left leg with small veneer patch; the underside of the feet with small holes fitted once with casters.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

There are many variations of this form of hall armchair.  There is a set of related fruitwood armchairs, each with a radiating oval backrest at Kedleston, photographed in the Family Corridor, J. Cornforth, 'Recreating Adam', Country life, 12 January 1995, page 43; see also Kedleston Hall The Historic Derbyshire home of the Curzon family, Derbyshire Countryside Ltd., 1977, pp. 4 and 5 for illustrations of four of them in the Music Room.  The chairs have padded seats (possibly once caned) and are raised on straight legs joined by stretchers.  A related set of four armchairs was sold by the Rt. Hon. the Earl Poulett, Hinton House, Somerset, Sotheby's, London, November 1, 1968, lot 54 and later, in these rooms, November 12, 1977, lot 110.  These had similar backrests but the seats were caned, had straight legs joined by stretchers, the front and back legs joined by ground stretchers.

An elaborate example from the collection of the Fogg Art Museum and Busch-Reisinger Museum, Harvard University, was sold in these rooms, October 16-17, 1987, lot 131; another sold, February 17, 1979, lot 161; a pair was sold, Christie's, London, April 15, 1999, lot 42, and a very similar pair of hall armchairs, but without the inlay to the backs, was sold, Christie's, New York, April 15, 2005, lot 219 ($66,000).