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Thomas Affleck

Side Chair
Now On View

Maker

Attributed to Thomas Affleck (American, b. Scotland, 1740-1795)

Title

Side Chair

Year

ca. 1760-1780

Medium

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

Materials

pine, mahogany

Geography

Place Made: Pennsylvania

Dimensions

95.3 x 57.2 x 44.5 cm (37 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches)

Signature / Inscription / Marks

Marks: Slip seat marked:IIII

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Bequest of Mr. Charles L. Pendleton

Object Number

04.127

Type

Publications

Exhibition History

18th and 19th-Century American Galleries
Jun 19, 2015
Charles Pendleton House
Jan 02, 2015
Making It In America
Oct 11, 2013 – Feb 09, 2014

Label copy

This side chair illustrates three important mid-18th-century design trends-Chinese, Gothic, and French Rococo-all popularized by English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale in his highly influential design handbook, The Gentleman and Cabinet-Maker’s Director. The curvature and carved asymmetrical scrolls of the seat back reflect the undulating line of French Rococo, which contrasts with the front seat rail’s geometric octagonal border, a motif derived from Chinese design. The legs are carved with arched lancets and quatrefoils, following a Gothic trend.

A Scottish immigrant and the likely maker of this chair, Thomas Affleck is known to have owned a copy of Chippendale’s Director; here, he adeptly combined multiple stylistic elements to create an American classic.

Furniture in Print
Pattern Books from the Redwood Library
Sep 22, 1989 – Nov 12, 1989

Image use

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Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Attributed to Thomas Affleck (American, b. Scotland, 1740-1795)
Side Chair, ca. 1760-1780
Mahogany, pine
95.3 x 57.2 x 44.5 cm (37 1/2 x 22 1/2 x 17 1/2 inches)
Bequest of Mr. Charles L. Pendleton 04.127

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