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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

  • mahogany,
  • pine

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Mahogany,
  • pine

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

  • Furniture

Publications

  • Books

The Pendleton Collection

  • Books

American Furniture In Pendleton House

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

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

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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Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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