1830s Antique Victorian Baloon Back Regency Hand Carved Rosewood Chairs- Set of 4

Description

Set of four waisted open balloon back chairs numbered III, V, VIIII, and X, indicating these were once part of … more Set of four waisted open balloon back chairs numbered III, V, VIIII, and X, indicating these were once part of a set of 10 to 20 chairs. Gillow & Co. created large chair sets for their upscale clients in Lancaster, many to accompany the Richard Gillow designed extending dining tables.

The style of the chairs is inspired by both the hot air balloon flight of the Montgolfier brothers in 1783, which led to the creation of a "Montgolfier" or "balloon back" chair design, and Grecian design elements, as can be seen here by the addition of volutes (scrolls) to the top rails. Richard Gillow originally designed a balloon back chair in 1785 as a response to the balloon mania that spread after the display of Vincent Lunardi's hot air balloon in Lancaster that year.


DESCRIPTION

The rounded top rails are embellished at center with carved stylized wheat sheaves flanked by scrolled cornucopias sprouting gadrooned leaves, all within a geometric frame.

To the sides are convex scrolled gadrooning and fanned anthemion.

The scrolled supports end in curved acanthus leaves above the rear sabre legs.

The center rail is embellished with foliated and gadrooned scrolls and leaves.

The rear seat rail is plain.

The seat rails at front and sides feature line carving.

The two front legs are influenced by Baroque trumpet legs. The legs are turned, reeded through the center, and end in an arrow foot.

The seats were originally hand-caned. The remnants of this process may be seen under the upholstered drop-in seats, which represent the later trend of adding fabric covered seats over, or in place of, caned seats on this style of chair. The seats are upholstered with ribbed red fabric and secured at the edges with brass upholstery tacks.


DOCUMENTATION

Documentation shows us that chairs in this buckled balloon back style were created in many variations for clients of Gillows of Lancaster & London between at least 1806 until at least 1839, placing these four chairs in the eras of the rulers George IV, William IV, and Queen Victoria.

We have included here an image of a similar chair design from the Gillows Estimate Sketch Book of 1823; a Gillows interior design from the 1806-1831 period which also features a similar chair style at upper left next to the pier mirror; a Gillows illustration from the same period showing a similar chair on the left along with a pianoforte; and a Gillows drawing from the period showing a similar chair to the left of the door (courtesy the Victoria & Albert Museum).


ABOUT GILLOW OF LANCASTER

Robert Gillow was the founder of Gillow of Lancaster. The widely reported date of founding is 1730; however, THE BRITISH ARCHITECT of September 9, 1898, pg 195, reports that records date to "a considerable time before 1716, according to the firm's books" (this may be in reference to the Lancaster factory, which has been reported as dating to 1695). As Robert was born in 1704, it is hard to imagine the business was created that much further back, even though Robert was an enterprising individual at a young age, apprenticing with a cabinet maker before sailing to the West Indies as a ship's carpenter. From there, he sailed to Jamaica and became what is believed to be the first mahogany wood importer to England in 1720.

Documentation shows that Robert became a freeman and was trading in Lancaster as a cabinet maker in 1728.

Robert retired in 1769, the year the Gillows' Oxford Street branch opened in London, and his son Richard Gillow, the architect credited with inventing the telescoping dining table, took over the family business. From that time the business was named Robert Gillow & Son, until 1814 when it was taken over by Redmayne, Whiteside, & Ferguson, who continued to use the name Gillow.

This change in ownership was still in the company family, however, as Leonard Redmayne was a Gillow's partner and connected by marriage to one of Gillows' top clients in Lancaster, the John Bond family.

In 1897, Gillows began a partnership with Waring of Liverpool, officially becoming Waring & Gillow in 1903. Will go with Victorian furniture.


SIZE:

The measurements are as follows:

33" high from floor to top of crest

21" deep

18.5" wide seat at front

15" wide seat at rear

16" seat depth

18" floor to seat less