Iconic and elegant English armchair/king's chair (Antique Master) in walnut and black velvet. The armrests are sinuous and end with rolled knuckles. The front legs are straight and squared while the rear ones are slightly curved; an H-shaped element connects them all, reinforcing the entire structure. The openwork lyre-shaped backrest is adorned with carved details whose centre, a naturalistic plume of feathers, evokes the iconography of H. H. H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. The seat is upholstered in high quality black velvet. The armchair was handmade between 1860 and 1865 in London, England, in the pure Hepplewhite style.
George Hepplewhite (Ryton 1727 - London 1786) was an English cabinetmaker and furniture designer whose name is associated with a graceful style of Neoclassicism, a movement that contributed to the formulation of the decorative arts. Together with Thomas Sheraton and Thomas Chippendale, he was one of the three famous furniture makers who shaped the taste of furniture in England in the 18th century. The furniture proposed by Hepplewhite consisted of a very personal reworking of the neoclassical model made popular in his homeland by the Adams brothers, departing from the prototype thanks to a careful study of proportions and careful attention to the practicality of the object. His chair production is famous: in contrast to the popular curved cabriole legs of earlier styles, such as Queen Anne and Chippendale, Hepplewhite's pieces usually have straight, square legs and oval or shield backs with graceful carved decoration. British furniture makers began reproducing Hepplewhite's designs, collected in his "Cabinet-Maker and Upholsterer's Guide" (published posthumously in 1788) from 1860 to 1890. King or Antique Master chairs are generally larger than normal and were made for Masonic leaders, schoolmasters, council heads and heads of families; anyone who owned and sat in a Master chair secured a position of authority over the group. Our armchair is finished with delightful period details, exudes exceptional craftsmanship and with its classic shape it easily adapts to any decor style. It has been restored and reupholstered so it is in excellent condition. Seat height: 46 cm.
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SILVER Seller in Prato, Italy
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