Antique British Museum Reading Room Dining Chairs from Holland & Sons, 1860, Set of 10

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Description

Lovely suite of ten handmade original victorian spoon or medallion back dining chairs with original upholstery made by holland & … Read more Lovely suite of ten handmade original victorian spoon or medallion back dining chairs with original upholstery made by holland & son's for the reading room of the british museum circa 1860-1870

this is a once in a lifetime chance to own this suite of chairs, not only were they made by one of the leading cabinetmakers of the 19th century holland & son's, they are in totally 100% original condition and of course made for one of the most prestigious buildings in london, the british museum no less, i have included above three pictures i found online where you can see the chairs in situs

the reading room stands at the heart of the museum, in the centre of the great court. Completed in 1857, it was hailed as one of the great sights of london and became a world-famous centre of learning. Each chair is stamped twice to the base on the rails "holland & son's" there is also order or serial numbers and some initials reading mm or ww, they would have most likely been the initials of the specific cabinet maker who crafted each piece

these chairs have need been fully restored, they have the period finish and polish, the rexene upholstery is original and most of the castors are as well, one or two would have wornout over the years. The timber looks to be cuban or honduras mahogany, it was being imported by the crème de la crème of cabinet makers in the late 18th and early 19th century, the chairs are approximately three times heavier than the modern day equivalent

condition wise we have lightly cleaned waxed and polished the chairs from top to bottom, they have the original patina throughout as mentioned all the rexene is present, some back panels have indentations and cracks as pictured

dimensions height:- 88cm width:- 52cm depth:- 65cm seat height:- 42cm this piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



issues arising from misattribution See less