Armchair
Manufacturer
James Woodward
(American, 1769 - 1839)
CultureAmerican
Dateca. 1799
MediumMahogany and yellow pine, with horsehair upholstery
DimensionsOverall: 35 x 21 1/2 x 18 in. (88.9 x 54.6 x 45.7 cm)
Credit LineGift of Miss Grace Irvine
Object number31.4.2
Not on view
DescriptionFederal Norfolk armchair with upholstered seat. Square back with pierced center splat consisting of three vertical members, the center one with four reeds dividing into four splayed, pierced ribs at the top. Outer two members are carved with a swag. S-curved armrests are carved with two leaves at the rear and with paterae at their scroll terminals. Arm supports sweep upward in a C-curve to meet the arm rests. Front legs are plain square tapers and legs connected with H-stretchers. Seat has outward-curved side and front seat rails w/ over-the-rail upholstery.Label TextAttributed to James Woodward, Norfolk, Virginia Pair of Armchairs, ca. 1800-15 Mahogany and yellow pine Collection Chrysler Museum of Art, Gift of Grace Irvine 31.4.1-.2 The sophistication of Norfolk's neoclassical furniture reflects both the cosmopolitan nature and wealth of the city at that time. Exhibition HistoryMyers House Published ReferencesRonald L. Hurst & Sumpter Priddy III, "The Neoclassical Furniture of Norfolk, Virginia, 1770-1820," THE MAGAZINE ANTIQUES, Vol. 137/No.5 (May 1990), pp. 1147-1153, color plate 16, p. 1153. Thomas R. J. Newbern and James R. Melchor, _Classical Norfolk Furniture, 1810-1840_ (Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Company, 2004), 29.
Pair/Pair