- 472
AN IMPORTANT GOTHIC REVIVAL CARVED WALNUT SIDE CHAIR, DESIGNED BY ALEXANDER JACKSON DAVIS (1803-1892), MANUFACTURE ATTRIBUTED TO BURNS AND BROTHER, New York, circa 1855-59
Estimate
15,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description
- walnut, leather
- Height 39 1/2 in.
Condition
Good condition; scuffs and bruises to the feet; some minor rubbing and wear overall. Bottom 2 inches of feet replaced.
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.
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.
Catalogue Note
This delicate yet animated side chair is one of the finest examples of Gothic Revival furniture. It has a beautifully composed back of open tracery and slender legs that spring from feet that resemble diminutive deer's hooves. Davis, one of the preeminent architects of nineteenth-century America, worked in other revival styles as well as Gothic.
Sometimes he provided the interior and the exterior details of a house and, unlike most architects of the period, Davis also occasionally supplied furniture designs to select clients. A few identical oak chairs have survived that can be firmly documented to Davis which he made about I857 for John J. Herrick, the owner of a castle by Davis that once stood in Tarrytown, New York.
For additional information see: "Alexander J. Davis: Side chair (1995.111)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1995.111 (October 2006), "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1994–1995," The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 53, no. 2 (Autumn, 1995), p. 55, and Amelia Peck, "Alexander Jackson Davis (1803–1892)," In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/davs/hd_davs.htm (October 2004).
Identical chairs executed in both walnut and oak are illustrated: "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1994–1995," The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 53, no. 2 (Autumn, 1995), p. 55; another chair Jane B. Davis, ‘Gothic Revival Furniture designs of Alexander J. Davis’, Antiques, May 1977, p. 1018, pl. III (oak); Elizabeth and Stuart P. Feld, In Pointed Style, The Gothic Revival in America, 1800-1860, New York, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 2006, p. 132-133; Katherine S. Howe and David B. Warren, The Gothic Revival Style in America, 1830-1870, Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1976, p. 16, no. 10, gift of Joseph B. Davies to the Museum of the City of New York (walnut).
Sometimes he provided the interior and the exterior details of a house and, unlike most architects of the period, Davis also occasionally supplied furniture designs to select clients. A few identical oak chairs have survived that can be firmly documented to Davis which he made about I857 for John J. Herrick, the owner of a castle by Davis that once stood in Tarrytown, New York.
For additional information see: "Alexander J. Davis: Side chair (1995.111)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1995.111 (October 2006), "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1994–1995," The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 53, no. 2 (Autumn, 1995), p. 55, and Amelia Peck, "Alexander Jackson Davis (1803–1892)," In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/davs/hd_davs.htm (October 2004).
Identical chairs executed in both walnut and oak are illustrated: "Recent Acquisitions: A Selection, 1994–1995," The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, v. 53, no. 2 (Autumn, 1995), p. 55; another chair Jane B. Davis, ‘Gothic Revival Furniture designs of Alexander J. Davis’, Antiques, May 1977, p. 1018, pl. III (oak); Elizabeth and Stuart P. Feld, In Pointed Style, The Gothic Revival in America, 1800-1860, New York, Hirschl & Adler Galleries, 2006, p. 132-133; Katherine S. Howe and David B. Warren, The Gothic Revival Style in America, 1830-1870, Houston, Museum of Fine Arts, 1976, p. 16, no. 10, gift of Joseph B. Davies to the Museum of the City of New York (walnut).