Pair of Antique Victorian Gothic Revival High-Back Walnut Armchairs — C. 1870–1885

Details

Description

Offered is a striking and exceptionally substantial matched pair of 19th-century Victorian Gothic Revival armchairs, believed to date from approximately … Read more Offered is a striking and exceptionally substantial matched pair of 19th-century Victorian Gothic Revival armchairs, believed to date from approximately 1870–1885.

At an impressive 66 inches tall, these are unusually large, high-back chairs with tremendous presence. They feature elaborately pierced Gothic Revival backs, quatrefoil tracery, pointed architectural forms, turned finials, extensively turned supports and legs, and richly patinated dark walnut frames.

The chairs retain warm brown leather upholstery with decorative nailhead trim. The leather displays attractive age and patina and appears to have been replaced or restored at some point in their history.

Dimensions

* Height: 66”
* Width: 29”
* Depth: 26”

Details

* Matched pair
* Victorian period, approximately c. 1870–1885
* Gothic Revival / Neo-Gothic
* Believed to be American in origin
* Walnut construction
* Dramatic 66” high Gothic backs
* Pierced quatrefoil and Gothic tracery
* Elaborately turned columns, legs and finials
* Brown leather upholstery
* Decorative nailhead trim
* Beautiful aged patina
* No maker’s mark or manufacturer’s label present

The proportions and pierced Gothic design are particularly noteworthy. A comparable American Gothic Revival walnut armchair in the Metropolitan Museum of Art dates to about 1860 and measures 64½” high, making the scale of these chairs consistent with exceptionally tall American Gothic Revival furniture of the period.

Condition:
Good antique condition consistent with approximately 150 years of age. The frames exhibit the expected scratches, finish wear, age-related surface deterioration and historic marks of use. The leather has significant patina and age-related wear. Please review all photographs carefully, as they are an important part of the condition description.

No maker’s mark or label is present. The date and American attribution are based on the chairs’ construction, materials and stylistic characteristics and are offered as an informed assessment rather than a documented maker attribution.

These would make an extraordinary statement in a library, study, office, entry hall, historic home, lodge or Gothic/English-inspired interior. See less