Pair of Gothic Revival Inlaid & Fine Cut Velvet Side Chairs, English, C. 1870

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A richly detailed pair of English Gothic Revival walnut side chairs, dating to around 1870, distinguished by their intricately carved … Read more A richly detailed pair of English Gothic Revival walnut side chairs, dating to around 1870, distinguished by their intricately carved tracery backs, architectural arcade motifs, and refined marquetry inlay. Each crest rail is decorated with ebonized panels inset with delicate geometric and foliate marquetry, framing a row of pointed arches with trefoil piercings evocative of Early English ecclesiastical architecture. The uprights rise to stylized finials carved in a quasi-crocket manner, reinforcing the medieval aesthetic.

The back supports are formed as slender, turned columns—some spirally carved, others ring-turned—creating an unusually sculptural vertical rhythm. The seat rails feature small circular carved rondels, echoing Gothic quatrefoils. The turned front legs, accented with ebonized incised rings, terminate in original brass casters, typical of mid-Victorian craftsmanship. Upholstery is later but sympathetically chosen, a richly textured cut-velvet in a diamond lattice and stylized cross motif.

This pair is highly characteristic of workshop production influenced by designers such as Charles Eastlake and by the wider mid-19th-century Gothic Revival movement inspired by Pugin’s principles of honest construction and medieval ornament. The precise tracery, marquetry embellishment, and crisp turning suggest a quality London or provincial maker circa 1870 rather than mass-market cottage production, aligning with furniture exhibited at the 1860s–70s International Exhibitions.

Measurements: 17.5" w x 19.5" d x 34.75" h See less