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Accession #	71.95
Title	Armchair (Renaissance Revival style)
Date	ca. 1875
Medium	Ebony, aspen, yellow pine, ivory, mother-of-pearl, modern upholstery
Dimensions	39 x 25 7/8 x 26 3/8 in. (99.1 x 65.7 x 67 cm)
Marks	no marks
Inscriptions	no inscriptions
Signed	no signature
Credit Line	Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George N. Richard
Location	American Identities: Art Making / Centennial Era
Description	I.Type: Armchair (Renaissance Revival style); II. Frame, a. Materials: Ebony, marquetry of various woods, ivory, b. Finish: Ebonized, appears to be original, III. Upholstery: a. Cover: Modern black velveteen, b. Trim: Modern galloon, c. Structure: (i) Webbing: Modern; (ii) Springs: 12 black coated and other; (iii) Edges: Modern prefabricated jute; (iv) Cake: Not available for examination. (Mellon Project 1997) TEXTILE: Replacement textile cover. Cotton velvet. TRIM: Plain galoon trim. UNDERUPHOLSTERY: Box seat inserted into frame. Two sets of webbing, one set stapled over second set. Many nails left in bottom of frame. Traces of original webbing attached to nails. Twelve springs, some are black coated, some are not; some springs are knotted; each spring lashing is tied in at least four knots but seem to have more knots. Stuffing materials of seat are modern and include prefabricated jute edge roll and rubberized hair. Stuffing is hair on arms and seatback, cotton partitition, cotton batting and cover. Batting and cover are modern. Form of profile is appropropriately slender. Trace of earlier cover on proper right back of seatframe under tack. Of unknown fibers, pink, purple, brown and cream colored; fragment is too small to determine pattern. FRAME: Armchair, sleigh-back, with curved cresting inlaid in basket of flowers and foliate scrolls; arms, which terminate in scrolls are inlaid in attenuated bellflower design with ivory flowers, as are rear stiles. Panneled outer sides with marquetry design of youth with winged horse in ivory. surrounded by leafy scrolls. Seatrail in form of taurus molding with rinceaux; apron with inlaid palmettes joined by foliage; legs adorned with acanthus over floral inlay. Front legs square and tapering; rear legs also square in section, but curve backwards and terminate in scrolls. Back of chair with symmetrical floral design with leaves and stems in light wood, and flowers in ivory and mother-of-pearl. Seat, seatback, inside arms and armrest upholstered. FINISH: Ebony, ivory, mother-of-pearl and wood inlay into veneer.

Curatorial Remarks:

This chair was probably made in Milan, Italy, where there was a long tradition of elaborately inlaid furniture. Several versions of the chair are known with American family coats-of-arms and iconography, such as busts of Indians, incorporated into the marquetry, suggesting that these chairs were made specifically for the American market.