FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT | An Important Tall-Back Spindle Chair from the Warren Hickox House, Kankakee, Illinois

en suite with the following lot

Warren Hickox House, Kankakee, Illinois
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers, Chicago, October 1987
Private Collection, Chicago
Acquired from the above by the present owner

William Allin Storrer, The Frank Lloyd Wright Companion, Chicago, 1993, p. 53 (for a discussion of the Warren Hickox House)
David A. Hanks, The Decorative Designs of Frank Lloyd Wright, New York, 1979, pp. 201-202 (for a reference to the execution of these chairs by cabinetmaker John W. Ayers & Co., and a reference to the exhibition of the Hickox tall-back spindle chair form in the 1902 annual exhibition of the Chicago Architectural Club at the Art Institute of Chicago)
Kathryn Smith, Wright on Exhibit: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Architectural Exhibitions, Princeton, 2017, p. 10 (for a reference to the execution of these chairs by cabinetmaker John W. Ayers & Co., and a reference to the exhibition of the Hickox tall-back spindle chair form in the 1902 annual exhibition of the Chicago Architectural Club at the Art Institute of Chicago)

Overall very good condition. The oak surfaces throughout appear to retain their original rich dark finish, which present with scattered, very minor surface scratches, abrasions, and light edge wear with some scattered minor associated losses consistent with age and gentle use. The proper left front leg with some slightly more concentrated wear to one of the vertical edges. The chair with some extremely light surface soiling concentrated to the recessed contours of the design and with some scattered extremely minor discolorations. With a reupholstered leather seat in very good condition. A superb example of Wright’s quintessential tall-back spindle chair form in beautiful condition.
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.

The present tall-back spindle chairs from the Warren Hickox House are two of only six known such chairs from the residence.  Their composition is a study in visual tension: thin spindles rise up elegantly from just above the floor and are halted by a wide oak board at the top of the backrest; the narrow slivers of positive and negative space created by the spindles impart the chair with a dynamism and liveliness that constrasts its overall austere rectilinearity.  This form was clearly a favorite of the architect, who included variations of it in several of his most important early and defining commissions, such as the Ward Willits House, which was designed at approximately the same time as the Hickox House.  Wright exhibited the present Hickox chair form in the 1902 exhibition of the Chicago Architectural Club at the Art Institute of Chicago—a clear indication of the pride Wright took in its distinct design.  Today, one other tall-back spindle chair from the Hickox House is held in the collection of the Museum of Fine Art, Boston, gifted by the American Decorative Art 1900 Foundation (accession no. 2006.1439).