Fine Quality 19thC Leather Upholstered Desk Chair After a Design by Giles Grendey #2495

A fine quality 19th Century leather upholstered desk - armchair after a design by Giles Grendey (This chair possibly being Irish) Circa 1860

Constructed in the best quality oak almost looking like walnut the hooped back design being of open strapwork in the form of a shell with carved decorative reliefs supported by a half and full circle resting on a gadrooned plinth. Flanking to either side are shepherd crook shaped arms finishing with beautifully carved eagle heads having pierced beaks held by a serpentine support with a foliate carved base.

Standing on finely carved front cabriole legs being hipped at the knee with foliate decoration, terminating in ball and hairy paw feet and outswept rear chamfered legs. The seat being upholstered in a fine quality tan / brown leather hyde with individual nailed brass studwork.

This chair is offered in excellent condition having been restored using traditional methods having a fine colour and patina. 

The design of this chair was first drawn by the celebrated furniture maker Giles Grendey (1693-1780) although originally with arms. 

R.W. Symonds illustrates a similar walnut chair in his article ‘The Chair with a Shell Back’, which appeared in ‘The Antique Collector’ in October 1956 (pp.177-182). He states that: ‘The design of the shell back of this chair is complete and satisfying; it is not only highly decorative but comfortable, for the ribs of the shell serve as a support to the shoulders of the person seated… The designer in place of the solid vase-shaped splat has filled the space with an openwork shell, and for strength he has connected the base of the shell by scrolls in the form of the figure eight to the shoe piece fixed to the back seat rail’.

Please see for reference in the images a Georgian period chair circa 1740 attributed to Giles Grendey.