A George II walnut armchair1750-1755, either made by the firm of Wright and Elwick or executed by Paul SaundersThe shaped beaded and scrolled acanthus wrapped toprail carved with a central sunflower head, with volute scrolled and acanthus clasped arms, above a shaped, foliate scroll carved and channelled seat frame centred by a shell and acanthus spray, on bellflower pendant, scrolled and foliate adorned cabriole legs terminating in scroll feet, with an old metal plaque which reads: 'ANTIQUE FURNITURE FROM NORMAN ADAMS LTD., 8-10 Hans Road, London, SW3', approximately: 71cm wide x 74cm deep x 96cm high, (27 1/2in wide x 29in deep x 37 1/2in high)Footnotes:ProvenanceThe present lot was previously with Norman Adams Ltd., most likely during the 1970s and also into the early 1980s, from which period the metal plaque applied to its seat rail appears to date.The same model of chair sold Christie's, New York, 25 October 1986, Fine English and Continental Furniture, lot 54. Much more recently, an identical pair of these chairs (possibly part of the same set originally as the offered example) sold Christie's, London, 20 May 2021, The Collector, lot 32. It seems highly probable that the partnership of Wright and Elwick, active from 1748 and based in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was responsible for the making of the present chair. Also it is interesting to note that Richard Wright, who formed one half of this impressive duo, had earlier on worked alongside Paul Saunders (1722-1771). The latter of whom was one of the most significant cabinet makers (and notably chair makers) who flourished in England during the 1750s and 1760s. Saunders also served as Tapestry Maker to His Majesty the King, whilst being based at 'The Royal Soho Manufactory, Soho Square'. During the early part of his career he operated with George Smith Bradshaw (1717-1812), who was then much like a business partner of his. Together they took over, circa 1755, the workshop of William Bradshaw, which was based at 59 Greek Street, also in Soho, and at the same time acquired the stock and pattern books already there. As a consequence of this, there are many similarities among the contemporaneous design elements and motifs employed by Wright and Elwick, Saunders and indeed Bradshaw as well.An example of this shared visual vocabulary is the acanthus carving to the legs of the above chair which appears, albeit slightly varied upon each individual model, on seat furniture produced by all three of the aforementioned makers. These include; a set of four armchairs with tapestry upholstery which were evidently provided for Chesterfield House, London by Bradshaw but are today housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and which feature in G. Beard, Furniture Maker and Tapestry Weaver Metropolitan Museum Journal, Vol.37, 2002, p.168, fig. 1; two sets of dining chairs (1755-1758) made by Saunders on behalf of the 1st Earl of Leicester at Holkham Hall, Norfolk, illustrated in A. Coleridge, Some Mid-Georgian Cabinet-Makers at Holkham, Apollo, February 1964, fig.'s 1 and 2; and a group of twelve chairs most likely supplied by Wright and Elwick to Nostell Priory, Yorkshire, National Trust, NT 959745.The Nostell Priory variant of this type, which was seemingly devised and executed by Wright and Elwick, incorporates a very similar carved cartouche to that appearing on the seat frame of the offered chair. Further to this, the present lot relates to a group of dining chairs, also believed to have been provided by this same firm, albeit for Kippax Park, Yorkshire. The latter appear in M. Harris and Sons, The English Chair, London, 1946, pl. LI, p. 123. All of this lends serious weight to the view that the above is a production of the renowned Wakefield business.Additional seat furniture of this closely comparable design was previously located at Swaines Hill Manor, Hampshire. Whilst a pair of armchairs together with a sofa from this suite, which had formed part of the collection of the late Marjorie Wiggin Prescott, Belle Haven, Greenwich, Connecticut, sold Christie's, New York, 31 January 1981, lot 354. Subsequently, the same sofa sold Christie's, London, 11 May-1 June 2020, lot 108. These notable pieces feature in R. Edwards, C. Claxton-Stevens and S. Whittington, 18th Century English Furniture, The Norman Adams Collection, 1983, Woodbridge, pp.'s 38 & 39. It is possible that the present lot is indeed the exact same armchair which is illustrated therein.This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: TPTP For auctions held in Scotland: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Constantine, Constantine House, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge ML5 4EF, Scotland, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please refer to the catalogue for further information.For all other auctions: Lots will be moved to an offsite storage location (Cadogan Tate, Auction House Services, 241 Acton Lane, London NW10 7NP, UK) and will only be available for collection from this location at the date stated in the catalogue. Please note transfer and storage charges will apply to any lots not collected after 14 calendar days from the auction date.For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
