Country `homes Antiques Scotland est; 1985

Two George III Chinese Chippendale chinoiserie mahogany elbow chairs

(Circa 1760s)

A rare and original pair of very attractive George III Chinese Chippendale mahogany elbow chairs, Circa 1760s, the chinoiserie shaped back with octagonal trellis moulded rails within outset arm rests with similar trellis decoration, upholstered drop in seat in floral cloth, on square moulded legs with trellis angles, 69cm at widest part (2)

Provenance: The William Mowat-Thomson Collection
Condition. Very good.

Almost identical to several in Dumfries House, Scotland.
Refs: Christopher Gilbert ‘The Life and Work of Thomas Chippendale’ pg. 101, fig 167.
Ralph Edwards CBE FSA in ‘A Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture’, p. 150, ill. 132 documents a similar armchair dated circa 1765.
‘English furniture’ by Thomas Arthur Strange, pp. 133, 156 & 157.
Thomas Chippendale ‘Director’, ill. XXVI.
Percy Macquoid, ‘A History of English Furniture, The Age of Mahogany’, London, 1908, ill. 682;
Ralph Edwards CBE FSA ‘Georgian Cabinet-Makers’, London, 1955, p. 136, fig. 88.
Sebastian Pryke ‘Cockpen Quest’ Country Life, 29th April, 1993.
Sebastian Pryke ‘The 18th Century Furniture Trade in Edinburgh’ [sic].
Named after pew chairs with a Chinese lattice design in the Cockpen Church, Cockpen, Midlothian, Scotland, cockpen chairs were originally made for the aristocratic Dalhousie family, circa 1775.

We have actually made chairs similar to these, as fine chairmaker’s ourselves, for 30 of our 45 years as Antiques dealers, Alas I can no longer stand at a bench all day, but from memory I can say that there is, I seem to remember 115 hand honed joints to construct a Chinoiserie Cockpen elbow chair, for me these type of chairs are the ultimate challenge of any wood crafting skills, especially the simulated bamboo versions, read about them links below. Inspired by Thomas Chippendale.

Chinese Chippendale inspired dining suite

https://countryhomesantiques.co.uk/collections/andrew-christie/