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Attributed to Thomas Affleck

Side Chair, ca. 1760-1780

Description

Maker

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

Title

Side Chair

Year

ca. 1760-1780

Medium

Mahogany, pine

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • pine,
  • mahogany

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

Slip seat marked:IIII

Place

Pennsylvania

Type

  • Decorative Arts,
  • Furniture

Credit

Bequest of Mr. Charles L. Pendleton

Object Number

04.127

Projects & Publications

Publications

American Furniture In Pendleton House

Read Online

The Pendleton Collection

Read Online

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Making It In America

October 11, 2013 - February 9, 2014

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

September 22 - November 12, 1989

18th and 19th-Century American Galleries

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Side Chair with the accession number of 04.127. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

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