Illus. 198.—Painted Sheraton
Chair, 1810-1815.
The arm-chair in Illustration [194] is said to have belonged to Jerome Bonaparte, but as Lucien and Joseph Bonaparte both had residences in this country, it would more probably have been owned by one of them rather than by Jerome, whose career in America was short and meteoric. The wood of this chair is cherry, said to have grown upon the island of Corsica, and the style of the back, while upon the Sheraton order, differs from any of Sheraton’s designs.
The chair in Illustration [195] belongs to Walter Bowne Lawrence, Esq., of Flushing, Long Island. It is one of the finest types of a Sheraton chair. The front legs end in what Hepplewhite called a “spade foot,” which was frequently employed by him and occasionally by Sheraton.
Illustration [196] shows a Sheraton chair owned by Mrs. E. A. Morse of Worcester. The top bar is carved with graceful festoons of drapery, and the back is in a design which is often seen.
Illus. 199.—Late Mahogany Chairs, 1830-1845.
A chair after Sheraton’s later designs is shown in Illustration [197]. It is one which was popular in the first decade of the nineteenth century. This chair is part of a set inherited by Waldo Lincoln, Esq., of Worcester.
The chair shown in Illustration [198] is owned by Mrs. J. C. Cutter of Worcester. It has a rush seat, and the back is painted in the manner called japanning, with gilt flowers upon a black ground. These chairs, which were called “Fancy chairs,” were very popular during the first part of the nineteenth century, together with settees decorated in the same fashion.
Illustration [199] shows two mahogany chairs owned by Waldo Lincoln, Esq., of the styles which were fashionable from 1840 to 1850, examples of which may be found in almost every household, along with heavy sofas and tables of mahogany, solid or veneered.