Bay Colony Antiques is proud to offer for sale this fantastic antique set of 4 Sheraton style Mahogany dining chairs. Chairs of this style were gaining popularity around 1790-1800 with the circulation of Thomas Sheraton’s Cabinetmaker & Upholsterers Drawing Book. This set was made in the early 20th century, probably in or around Boston. The chairs exhibit a nice neoclassical design with a generous amount of inlaid elements. We’ve handled similar chairs from Joseph Gerte’s shop in the past. We’re also open to the possibility that these may have been made by the Bussolini brothers who were also furnishing the homes of Boston’s elite during the early 20th century. Boston was somewhat of an anomaly during the early 20th century because as more furniture making evolved into mass production, Boston was still home to a large amount of custom cabinet shops that continued to work in traditional early American styles with the very best materials and attention to detail.
The chairs have square backs with a raised center panel & a light colored string inlay along the crest and stiles. The backs have 4 vertical slats with a compound satinwood inlay that results in a captivating visual effect. The same compound Satinwood inlay is also present on the front seat rails and the front legs. The chairs are in wonderful condition with our only notes being minor surface wear & some light crackling to the original 1920’s finish. The seats are free of any rips & stains and have a multicolored floral fabric that’s mainly red and pink tones. The seats are 100% usable in their current state but are a bit firm and would probably benefit from a more modern fabric & comfortable cushioning. These are slips seats so they can be easily removed from the frame and brought to an upholster without having to transport the entire chair. The chairs exhibit near ideal proportions and measure 19 1/4” wide x 18 3/4” deep x 36 1/2” tall with an 18 1/4” seat height. When accounting for the 1/2” taper along the span of the legs the front legs and back legs are square at 18 3/4” apart. A cabinetmaker understanding and being able to execute proper proportions & scale results in more graceful chairs, where others that don’t exhibit proper ratios will appear as clumsy or too clunky.
