A high Victorian mahogany button back lady's chair, second half…
click the photo to enlarge
A high Victorian mahogany button back lady's chair, second half 19th century, the generously proportioned chair having a pierced and carved show frame with fruits and floral motifs, a near circular stuffover seat with a carved shaped apron and low cabriole legs richly flower encrusted to the knees above extravagant whorl feet and brass casters, upholstered in sage velvet with decorative gimp, 115 cm. Width 60 cm. Depth 77 cm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Cabriole Leg - The cabriole leg evolved from an elongated scroll, curving out at the knee which may or may not be carved, and forming a serpentine shape as it descends to the foot.

    First introduced into English furniture in the late 17th century, cabriole legs were widely used during the Queen Anne and early Georgian periods, where they frequently terminated in a pad foot or ball and claw foot. The style has had many imitators since then. The cabriole leg was re-introduced in the mid-19th century, and is commonly associated with the balloon-back dining or drawing-room chairs made in walnut, mahogany or, in Australia, cedar. The Victorian cabriole leg, on the whole, was rather more slender than the earlier form, following the French style, which emphasized the delicacy and daintiness of the chairs they were designed to support. Cabriole legs are sometimes found on windsor chairs, especially those made during the 18th century.
  • Pierced Decoration - Ornamental woodwork with part of the background cut through and removed to produce an open-work pattern.
  • Victorian Period - The Victorian period of furniture and decorative arts design covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers used and modified many historical styles such as Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others, although use of some styles, such as English Rococo and Gothic tended to dominate the furniture manufacture of the period.

    The Victorian period was preceded by the Regency and William IV periods, and followed by the Edwardian period, named for Edward VII (1841 ? 1910) who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India for the brief period from 1901 until his death in 1910.
  • Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.

    Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
  • Apron - A decorative wooden panel that sits underneath the top surface of a table or chair, and unites the top of the piece with the legs, running at right angles to the underside. On carcase furniture such as a chest or wardrobe, the apron sits below the drawers or doors and attaches to the legs.

    On carcase furniture without legs the panel under the drawers or doors sits on the floor and is termed a plinth.

    An apron can provide a decorative touch to an otherwise unadorned piece of furniture and at the same time provide structural support and strength. They can be carved or pierced and quite elaborate.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A Victorian lady's chair, later 19th century, the button back chair with a showframe and floral and scrolled crest, a serpentine seat and scrolling legs terminating in acanthus decorated feet with brass casters; upholstered in self patterned cream jacquard

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Victorian buttoned back grandfather chair, height 100 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Victorian walnut gentleman's chair, second half 19th century, the horseshoe shaped chair with an acanthus and scroll carved show frame surrounding the padded back, with enclosed sides, curvaceous supports and upon carved foliate embellished cabriole legs

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Victorian gentleman's chair, later 19th century, in the French taste, the button back spoon shaped chair with a carved floral festoon to the crest, padded arms and curvaceous and pierced side supports with trailing floral carving to cabriole legs and a s

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.