Chair

Place Made
Caroline County Virginia United States of America
Date Made
1775-1800
Medium
maple –hickory or oak
Dimensions
HOA: 37 1/2″; WOA: 19 1/2″
Accession Number
2177
Description
DESCRIPTION: Chair with two split-banisters set into rails; back posts terminating with a single ball finial; plain stretchers with two on sides and front and one in back; rush seat; front rounded posts rise slightly above seat; bottom front stretcher worn heavily; whole piece has wear marks that reveal a yellow color.

GROUP: Several nearly identical chairs have turned up in eastern Virginia. The only recorded chairs of this group with a history are a set of 8 that were owned on the plantation Old Mansion in Caroline County, Virginia (see MESDA Object Database S-6173A and S-6173B), suggesting a likely provenance for the group. These chairs share details such as turned split banisters in the back, flattened ball finials, maple posts, and hickory stretchers. Included in the MESDA collection are two chairs from the group, an armchair (Acc. 2023.1) and this side chair. Colonial Williamsburg has two side chairs (CWF 1966-388 and CWF 1999-214). In addition to the Old Mansion set, the MESDA Object Database has recorded two others, S-12155 and NN-2274.

WOODS: Maple with hickory or oak stretchers.

History
ATTRIBUTION: Sets of four chairs have been found centering around Bowling Green, Virginia.
Credit Line
Gift of Frank L. Horton