Elizabeth I joined oak chair

Early Elizabeth I joined oak and inlaid chair, circa 1560. A very rare early chair with hexagonal front supports carved with nulling, seat rail carved with roundels and open fretwork. The back panel framed with inlaid mouldings around a double inlaid lozenge. The top rail inlaid with three inter-linked diamond lozenges and above this a triangular pediment with a small tableted panel with an inlaid cross. A picture of a bed in (Different Pourtraicts de Menuiserie) plate 12 by Hans Vredeman de Vries, shows a very similar triangular pediment and heavy moulding on the back panel of the bed. Another bed with similar work sold in the John Fardon collection in Christies South Kensington May 1996.

The rear of the chair has an interesting carved nulled top rail, with rounded top and bottom sections within the carving. An early chair in Tobias Jellinek’s book on Early British Chairs and Seats 1500 to 1700, plate 6, page 39, has the same type of nulling and this too dates to circa 1560.

Dry untouched surface, with a deep red colour, the feet have been extended (not restored height) this must have always been a low chair. The rear feet tipped to rail height. Open fretwork strenghted and an extra rail added at back for support.