Regency Brass Inlaid Chairs, Early 19th Century Set

A set of six Regency brass inlaid chairs, early 19th century,…
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A set of six Regency brass inlaid chairs, early 19th century, rail back chairs with brass stringing and fleur-de-lis motifs, pierced and carved midrails with target motifs and raised on sabre legs, with light brown velvet drop in seats

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  • Pierced Decoration - Ornamental woodwork with part of the background cut through and removed to produce an open-work pattern.
  • Drop in Seat - Mostly used on Regency upright chairs, a drop in (or "drop on") seat is an unsprung removable seat where the upholstery is attached to a wooden frame, which is held in place by the sides of the chair, and usually a wooden peg at the front of the chair. An inset upholstered seat is of the same construction, but it sits within a frame whose perimeter includes four sides of the chair.

    Because the upholstery frame was not very deep, the seats were relatively uncomfortable. In the mid 19th century coiled upholstery springs came into use and frame of the chair was used as the upholstery frame, making for a much more comfortable and responsive seat.

    This type of seat was known as an over-upholstered or over-stuffed seat.
  • Rail - A term used by cabinet makers for the horizontal sections of the frame of an item such as a chair or settee which have a front rail, a back rail and two side rails, and also on a door or carcase, where the rails are joined to the vertical framings.
  • Fleur-De-Lis - The fleur-de-lis is a stylized lily or iris flower with

    three petals that has been used as a decorative motif for thousands of years. It

    often appears in Christian iconography symbolising the Holy Trinity and as an

    emblem that reflects the purity of the Virgin Mary. In decorative art and antiques

    decoration, the fleur-de-lis is often used as a symbol of elegance, refinement,

    and good taste.



    The fleur-de-lis has a rich history and in ancient times, it

    was associated with royalty, purity, and the divine, and it was used as a

    symbol of the French monarchy for many centuries.



    It is a common design element in ceramics, silverware, jewellery,

    furniture, and other decorative objects, and it can be found in many different

    styles and forms.

  • Stringing - Fine inlaid lines, in contrasting colour to the carcase timber, found mainly on furniture made in the styles of the later 18th and early 19th centuries. Stringing, which may be of satinwood, pine, ebony, horn, brass or occasionally ivory, is found principally on drawer fronts, around the outer edges of usually tapered legs and French bracket feet, around the edges of inlaid panels and between the joint of the cross banding and carcase timber on table tops, chests of drawers, cabinets etc. The effect is to emphasize the line of the piece and add to the impression of lightness and elegance. Stringing also occurs in Sheraton-revival-style furniture of the later 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • Regency Period - The Regency period in English furniture design refers to the period when King George III, was declared unfit to rule in 1811, and his son ruled as proxy as Prince Regent, until 1820, and then, after the death of his father as George IV until his death in 1830. The Regency period was preceded by the Georgian period (George I, George II, and George III: 1714 - 1811), and was followed by the William IV period, which only lasted until 1837 when William IV died as was succeeded by Queen Victoria.
  • Inlay - Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed
  • Sabre Leg - The sabre leg is commonly associated with chairs made in the Regency or classical revival manner of the early 19th century. The form was copied from designs of the ancient Grecian chair known as a klismos found on painted classical vases. The characteristic of the sabre leg is a wide, sweeping backward curve which was frequently reeded, similar to a sabre. The sweep of the front legs was sometimes complemented by a corresponding curve in the back legs of the chair, though on most domestic furniture the sweep of the rear support was not as pronounced. Sabre legs are often encountered in reproductions of the regency style. They are uncommon in Australian furniture where, by and large, colonial craftsmen preferred to use turned legs.

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