A Fine William IV Period Lyre Form Bergere Library Armchair with Mahogany Legs, English, Attributed to Gillows, c.1835

The outscrolling arms of lyre outline. Usually chairs of this model have show rails which make the design inspiration easier to spot but this chair still has this clear neoclassical inspiration. The bulbous turned front legs, with original castors, and raking back legs unusually constructed from solid satinwood rather than the much more common mahogany or rosewood. The chair newly upholstered in aged blue leather with gilt nailing, making the chair both decorative and practical. This model of chair would originally have been designed for a grand library, its deep and elegant proportions making it particularly comfortable and attractive. The original inspiration for this chair is a model introduced by Gillows around 1813, documented as part of the famous Hackwood Park commission. This piece is unsigned but the quality of the present chair, suggest a Gillows provenance for the present piece.