A set of seventeen George III mahogany dining chairs, in the manner of Robert Manwaring, circa 1770

together with two matching armchairs and a side chair, with serpentine scrolled top rails carved with leaves above shaped pierced trellis backs within tapered moulded uprights, the padded seats on chamfered legs with pierced ear brackets and H-stretchers, some with frets missing

Most probably commissioned by Richard Grenville Temple, 2nd Earl Temple (1711-1779) and thence by descent until sold;
Stowe House, Christie, Manson and Woods, 15 August - 30 September 1848, lot 2522 (£26 5s);
where bought by T. W. Budd Esq. probably for Shropham Hall, Norfolk.

Overall in good restored condition. The back splats to all the chairs shows signs of restoration most notably small replacements to the veneers. One chair is missing its front spandrels. Two of the chairs show minor signs of damage and old worm to the front left leg. One of the reproduction dining chairs ahs a pained back seat rail which wold benefit from attention. Two of the chairs have not been restored as recently and have been relocked underneath. Most of the chairs with replaced back seat rail supports. With attractive upholstery complimenting the fine colour of the mahogany.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The design for the backs of these chairs is based on plate 13 showing ‘Gothic Chairs’ in The cabinet and Chair-Maker's Real Friend and Companion, or, the Whole System of Chair-making Made plain and easy, by Robert Manwaring, London, 1765. Manwaring is recorded as working in Haymarket, London and was a direct contemporary of Thomas Chippendale’s. Unlike his contemporary Manwaring did not achieve a famous legacy; however his contribution to furniture design, especially chair design, was enormous (Beard and Gilbert, The Dictionary of English Furniture Makers 1660-1840, Leeds: W. S. Maney, 1986, p. 573). The stylised bracket between the front rail of the seat and the top of the chair leg, present in this lot, was a recurrent theme in his oeuvre and some scholars believe it originated in his workshop.

Stowe House in Buckinghamshire was the seat of the Temple family (later the Dukes of Buckingham) for three hundred and fifty years from 1571 – 1921. One of the grandest aristocratic country houses in England, Stowe has played host to a plethora of monarchs, artists, philosophers and composers. Indeed the Comte de Paris moved himself into the house in 1889 – 94, following a spate of financial trouble, where he died and was laid in state in the Marble Saloon. The Christie’s, Manson and Woods Stowe House sale in 1848 is considered one of the first great English house sales. Although, the circumstances surrounding the sale are less auspicious than the outcome – The 2^nd Duke was forced into it following a calamitous effort to redecorate the entire house at extrordinary expense for a three day visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

In the record of the sale the chairs are listed as being bought by T. W. Budd Esq. who would most likely have purchased the suite for Shropham Hall in Norfolk. Shropham was built by John Barker, later High Sherriff of Norfolk in 1729.

A related suite of furniture of at least eight armchairs from Treworgey Manor, near Liskeard, Cornwall is known to be by Manwaring. As well as four chairs in the collection of the Leeds City Art Galleries at Temple Newsam House, which have been extensively published, including a full history of the suite in Christopher Gilbert, Furniture at Temple Newsam House and Lotherton Hall, Leeds, 1978, vol. I, p. 84, no. 69. One of these chairs was exhibited at 'The British Antique Dealers' Association Golden Jubilee Exhibition', Victoria and Albert Museum, London, May 1968, no. 44, pl. 105 in the catalogue; another pair was sold in these rooms, April 16, 1998, lot 804 ($90,000). An armchair with a related backrest from Bramshill is illustrated, Macquoid and Edwards, The Dictionary of English Furniture, vol. I, p. 286, fig. 192, and sold, Parke-Bernet Galleries, The Walter P. Chrysler Jr Collection of English Furniture, May 6-7, 1960, part II, lot 371.