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Early 19th Century Pair of Klismos Chairs, George Oakley

$17,287.95List Priceper set

About the Item

An exceptional pair of Regency period chairs, with a well-shaped 'Klismos' outline and unusually generous proportions, attributed to George Oakley of Bond Street. London, circa 1810. Extremely rare and thought after model. Why we like them With front legs unusually splayed in two dimensions, this design is one of the most sophisticated examples from the Regency period. Unusual in form, subtle in ornamentation, and outstanding in quality, these chairs display the decorative techniques of cabinetmaking, rather than joinery. The veneers and Greek-key brass inlays cover the seat rails and front leg joints—a highly unusual feature for chairs—demonstrating superb cabinetmaking skills and suggesting a high-end workshop origin. Attribution: The extremely rare ‘double-splayed’ front legs, derived from ancient Greek Klismos seats, along with exquisite brass inlays, contribute to these chairs' distinctive elegance. This form, along with certain decorative elements, aligns with other pieces traditionally attributed to George Oakley (1773–1840), one of the foremost London cabinetmakers of the period. The scrolling foliage pattern of the inlays on the back tablets of these chairs matches the decoration on a spider-leg sofa table illustrated in F. Collard’s Regency Furniture (Woodbridge, 1987, p. 317) and Mallett’s The Age of Matthew Boulton - Masterpieces of Neo-classicism (London, 2000, pp. 112-113). This table, belonging to a group of furniture firmly attributed to Oakley, likely originates from the same workshop as these chairs. An identically decorated daybed, en suite with these chairs, appears in the same Mallett catalogue (pp. 94-95). A magnificent center table, featuring the same inlays and possibly from the same suite, was sold at Christie’s, New York, 29 January 1994, lot 342. An identical pair of chairs is illustrated in Ronald Phillips’s Fine Antique English Furniture 2018, pp. 158-159. George Oakley George Oakley’s firm produced stylish Grecian-inspired furniture around the turn of the 19th century, pioneering ‘Buhl’ inlay, a decorative technique that regained popularity in the Regency’s early years. Fashionable materials like rosewood, mahogany, and calamander were often used in Oakley's furniture, combined with satinwood, ebony inlays, brass stars, and metal bands. His high-class furniture earned him a royal appointment and a reputation for fine craftsmanship. Visits by the royal family to Oakley's Bond St. Showrooms are recorded as in the Morning Chronicle of 1799. In May, “the ROYAL FAMILY, with the PRINCE and PRINCESS of ORANGE did Mr. OAKLEY the honor of viewing his Printed Furniture Warehouse in New Bond Street; when her MAJESTY, the Duke and Duchess of YORK, and the PRINCESSES, &c., highly approved of the splendid variety which has justly attracted the notice of the fashionable world.” Two weeks later, “Notwithstanding the fatigues which the Royal Family underwent [at the King's Birthday Parade], the Queen and Princesses, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of York, made a tour of the most elegant shops and manufactories in the different lines of the useful Arts. We saw them at Oakley and Shackleton's magazine of furniture in Old Bond Street … and thus Their Majesties, in the prevailing taste for magnificence in every article of decoration, give the most flattering encouragement to the arts by their countenance and protection.” On the evening of the King's Birthday celebrations, “the illuminations were mostly confined to the gaming houses and the tradesmen. OAKLEY's furniture magazine was the most tasteful and novel in its design.” [Morning Chronicle, 23 May, 5, 6 and 17 June] Shortly after this royal tribute, Oakley received the Royal Appointment, and on 2 July, an entry in the Morning Chronicle advertising the wide stock of fabrics available at 67 New Bond St. is headed “GEO. OAKLEY and Co. FURNITURE PRINTERS to her MAJESTY.”

Attributed to:
George Oakley (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 35 in (88.9 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)Depth: 21.25 in (53.98 cm)Seat Height: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Regency (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Textile,Wood,Hand-Carved,Inlay
Place of Origin:
United Kingdom
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1810
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Ready for placement and immediate use. New traditional hand-stitched upholstery and newly polished.
Seller Location:
Richmond, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1781238401282

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