Armchair

Furniture

Historic Hudson Valley

Name/Title

Armchair

Entry/Object ID

VC.59.531

Description

Chair, arm: Bent-arm Windsor (often called "New England type"); bowed cresting rail, of rectangular section, bent to form slightly upturned flattened arms; 8 whittled round spindles, 4 half spindles set into seat and rail; sharply raked and splayed vase-turned arm supports set into seat and rail; two whittled round spindles set diagonally into seat "bob-tail" and rail to form braces; solid seat, with bob-tail, strongly saddle-shaped, into which legs are set; H-stretchers, bulbous-turned, with slight rings flanking center of mid-stretcher; splayed legs, boldly turned in vase shapes, which taper to bottom. Old green paint. Rail, arm, stretchers are of oak; seat of chestnut; legs of maple; spindles of hickory.

Made/Created

Artist Information

Artist

Col. Ebenezer Tracy

Attribution

Maker

Notes

Dates: 1750 - 1799 Date made: r. 1750 - 1799

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Type

Inscription

Transcription

Branded beneath the seat: "E.B.TRACY"

Dimensions

Dimension Description

Overall

Height

36 in

Width

23 in

Depth

21 in

Dimension Notes

Display Dimensions: 36 x 23 x 21 in. (91.4 x 58.4 x 53.3 cm)

Material

hickory, oak, Maple, Chestnut

Condition

Notes

Remarks: Details of condition: Left arm has the crack at bend so often found in the bow-back Windsors.

General Notes

Note Type

Curatorial Remarks

Note

Misc.: VC.58.531 arm-chair of type originated and developed in New England, but made also in New York (v.VC.58.397). Ebeneazer Tracy b.1744-d.1803, Norwich, CT. Working last half of 18th century, Tracy, despite his stylistic shortcomings, frequently marked chairs. Incidentally, bent-arm Windsors, by the nature of their construction, rarely preserved.

Note Type

StorageNote

Note

Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Van Cortlandt Complex, Ferry House - Keeper's Room/SE