This chair belongs to a group of seating furniture known as “Vierlander” chairs.
These chairs originated in Prussia in the 18th century in the province of Vierlande in northern Germany, southeast of Hamburg. The area, populated by provincial craftsmen, was agriculturally rich and these chairs are “characterized by their intricate inlay of local woods.” The chairs customarily commemorate important family occasions, such as a birth or marriage. In the latter case, there would be a pair of such pieces, with the bride and groom each “[having] a chair made for the installation of the new house.” The family name and date of the ceremony was inlaid in marquetry, along with figural and floral decoration. Read more... (389 words, 2 images, estimated 1:33 mins reading time)
Highly unusual lyre-back armchair. English, circa 1795. Carlton Hobbs LLC.
The use of the form of the ancient lyre in the square back of a chair was an innovation of the first phase of post-Rococo Neo-Classicism in the second part of the Eighteenth Century. The lyre itself was derived from depictions of the instrument in Greek and Roman vases; these vases were central to the revival of interest in the antique that exercised a profound influence on the development of the decorative arts in the period.
Apollo Cup, circa 480-470 BCE; Delphi Museum, Greece.
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In Regency Redux by Emily Evans Eerdmans (New York, 2008) various 20th century interpretations of the Regency style, from “the Napoleonic to the Classical Moderne to the present, are explored.”1 Clean lines combined with the flair of French Empire style resulted in glamorous and luxurious interiors in the homes of the Hollywood haut monde, achieved by pairing contemporary and antique design elements.
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