A SET OF TWELVE GEORGE II WALNUT DINING CHAIRS, CIRCA 1735 |

comprising two 'shepherd's crook' armchairs and ten side chairs, on scrolled cabriole legs with scallop-shell cresting and pad feet to front legs, upholstered in white calico

Probably acquired by Sir Frank Henry Bowater, 1st Bt. (1866-1947) for Friston Hall, Suffolk;
thence by descent to the present owner.

A good model and rare set in good restored condition and ready to use. Sound and sturdy with significant replacements and cross braces to seat rails throughout entirely consistent with age and use. Armchairs - One back leg replaced. One ear/bracket replaced. Arms with repaired breaks. Side chairs - Repaired cracks to some feet. Spliced repair to another. Generally with minor old chips, scuffs and scratches consistent with age and use. At current owners request the chairs have been re-upholstered by London Antique Upholstery Ltd prior to sale and are currently finished in white calico and ready for further upholstery. The chairs were stripped to their frames when Sotheby's first inspected them and it was observed the rails to backreats are numbered I-XII.
"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."

This rare set of carved walnut dining chairs, with two ‘shepherd’s crook’ armchairs, typifies English chair design of the 1730s. The straight backs were more generally employed on upholstered models, whilst the scallop shell carved cabriole legs - a reference to the Roman goddess Venus - soon became a ubiquitous motif heralding the arrival of neo-Palladian iconography. As Bowett observes, the shell would have been a natural progression for carvers and joiners who in the 1720s had been employing leafy scrolls or feathered plumes to head chair legs [1]. For a chair with a closely related leg, with similarly scrolled mouldings, distinctive pad foot but lacking the shell cresting, see that in the National Trust collection at Treasurer's House, York [2]. Major Sir Frank Henry Bowater

The son of William Vansittart Bowater (1838–1907) - founder of Bowater, one of the world's largest producers of newspaper print - Major Sir Frank Henry Bowater, 1st Baronet, TD, CStJ (1866–1947) was commissioned in the service of the 4th London Howitzer Brigade Royal Field Artillery and rose to the rank of Major in 1908. Major Bowater held several prominent public offices, including Lord Lieutenant of the City of London (1914), Sheriff of London (1929-1930) and Lord Mayor of London (1938-1939). Major Bowater was made 1st Baronet Bowater, of Friston, Suffolk, upon his retirement on 11 October 1939.

[1] Bowett, A., Early Georgian Furniture 1715-1740, China, 2009, p. 175.

[2] Ibid., p. 168, pl. 4:50.