M. Markley Antiques
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Antique Chairs - Item 3305
Gothic Armchair

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Item 3305	Gothic Armchair
Dimensions	Width 24, Height 51, Depth 26 (in inches)
Wood	Walnut
Country	U.S.
Date	Circa 1930
Description	This chair captivated us with its overall Gothic feel and commanding presence even though the decorative elements comprising it are more a combination of Gothic, Renaissance, Louis XIII and Louis XIV.  The wood is a particularly dark and fine-grained walnut, which leads us to believe it is American in origin.  But the intricately hand-carved feet, toupie, armrests and finial give it a decidedly French feel.  From the Gothic it derives its "H" stretcher design and from the Renaissance its finials and scrolled armrests.  To Louis XIII style it owes its toupie and to Louis XIV the broad seat and high back.  The chair has been rebuilt in the seat and back to provide maximum comfort to those who sit upon it and the upholstery has been replaced with a rich navy and beige pattern of sweeping floral motifs to complete the homage to French style.
Reference	Aldrich, Megan, Gothic Revival (Phaidon Press, London, 1994); Rousseau, Francis, Le Grand Livre des Meubles (Copyright Studio, Paris, 1999); Wilk, Christopher, Western Furniture 1350 to the Present Day (Cross River Press, New York, 1996)
Uses	This chair is ideal for the head of the table for a large dining table or as a stand-alone presence in just about any room.