Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Her Majesty’s Furniture: An Italian Baroque Armchair, 1690

Armchair
Italian
Gilded softwood, silk velvet,
Silver Embroidery
1690
The Royal Collection
In furnishing Windsor Castle, King George IV’s taste for continental designs became even more apparent. His selections included ornate French and Italian furnishings with elaborate scroll-work and heavy ornamentation.


This armchair in one of a set of ten purchased by King George IV for Windsor Castle. The epitome of Italian Baroque style, these chairs feature scroll legs adorned with up-turned faces. The rich crimson upholstery is masterfully embroidered with a pattern which mirrors the carved legs and finials. King George paid £18 each for these chairs. They are, certainly, worth much more than that today.

2 comments:

SherR said...

Obviously eighteen pounds was worth a great deal more in the late 1700 early 1800s than it is today; but still - what a bargain for such interesting pieces!

Joseph Crisalli said...

Well, yes, of course, but, as you say, still, even then it was a bargain.