Lot 141
A set of eight early 19th century Anglo-Indian ebony armchairs
20 November 2013, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond Street£5,000 - £7,000
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A set of eight early 19th century Anglo-Indian ebony armchairs
The tapering backs with over-scrolled top-rails and pierced trellis splats, the moulded arms connected to the top-rails and with vase-shaped, turned supports, the caned seats on turned tapering front legs, with restorations. (8)
Footnotes
The design of these armchairs with the distinctive loop to the top of the arm is a feature found on early 19th century chairs from British India and the East Indies. Armin Jaffer notes in Furniture from British India and Ceylon, London 2001, p.259, fig.112, that there may have been a British precedent for this feature and records a pair of ebonised and chinoiserie decorated chairs sold at Phillips in London although the point is also raised as to whether Indian prototypes may have influenced a British designer. The feature seems to have been particularly popular in North India especially amongst the Sikhs and portraits of Ranjit Singh and his court exist where they are depicted on chairs with looped arms as well as in Charles D'Oyly's watercolours of British interiors in India. See A.Jaffer, ibid., pp. 259-261