A fine pair of George III Hepplewhite period mahogany tub chairs

A fine pair of George III Hepplewhite period mahogany tub chairs, each of typical form with the scroll arms continuous with the front legs, the curved seat rail, arms and legs with recessed panels.  English, circa 1785.

Provenance:   Ronald Phillips Ltd, London

A Private Collection

These fine armchairs are in the Hepplewhite style but are particularly unusual as they have bowed front seat rails rather than the much more common straight fronted or serpentine examples.  They also have panelled details on the blocks and front legs, a sign that these chairs were produced by a sophisticated workshop.

Chairs of this sort are sometimes known as bergères, tub chairs or simply writing chairs, being the right height to sit comfortably at a desk today.  Pairs of these chairs are rare, especially with beautifully patinated leather upholstery as on the present examples.  The chairs retain their original socket castors and all of the original rails.  They were acquired by the previous owners from the top dealers Ronald Phillips Ltd, further evidence of the rarity of this particular design and the quality of their manufacture.

Comparable chairs are illustrated by Herbert Cescinsky in his English Furniture of the Eighteenth Century, Vol. III, p.173 fig.187 and by F. Lewis Hinckley in his A Directory of Antique Furniture, fig.586.  Additionally, the great American dealers Arthur Vernay illustrated a very similar chair in their March 1936 catalogue.