Lot 483: An ornate carved oak and cane armchair in the Carolean style
A dark-stained oak armchair designed in the seventeenth-century Carolean style. The high rectangular back features a central inset cane panel within a profusely carved frame. The cresting rail is decorated with two cherubs supporting a central crown amidst scrolling foliage, flanked by turned and barley-twist uprights terminating in carved finials. The scrolled armrests are decorated with acanthus leaf carving at the hand rests and are supported by barley-twist sections. The seat contains a matching woven cane panel. The chair is supported by barley-twist front legs and turned rear legs, joined by an H-pattern stretcher. A deep, heavily carved front stretcher mirrors the design of the cresting rail with a central crown and scrolling foliate motifs. The construction shows pegged joints typical of the style. An orange circular adhesive label is visible on the upper left back frame, and a white rectangular adhesive label with black printed text is positioned on the central back frame; the characters on these labels are not clearly legible.
Condition report:
The chair is in fair condition with signs of age and use throughout. There is significant finish loss and surface abrasion to the arms (photo 1), seat frame, and back uprights, exposing the lighter natural wood beneath. A horizontal separation or crack is visible in the timber of the right-hand armrest near the scroll (photo 1). The cane panels show sagging and some minor fraying at the edges (photo 1). The wood finish appears dry and worn across the carved surfaces. The joinery appears stable despite the surface wear.
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