Architecture Around the World

Winterthur Museum - Table of Contents

Chippendale side chairs made in Philadelphia, New York, and Boston
Winterthur Museum and Country Estate
Winterthur, Delaware
This page was NOT produced by the Winterthur Museum.
Winterthur - Official Home Page

In the decade before the Revolution, Chippendale design was the basis of elegant furniture, but interpreted differently in each region of Colonial America.

Philadelphia: Pre-Revolutionary Philadelphia furniture is associated with elaborate designs. Typical chair features: stump rear legs; exuberant, deep foliate carving on the knees and chair back; and the rounded ball-and-claw feet.

New York: Typical chair features: claw-and-ball feet on which the claws have straight-lined talons

Boston: Typical chair features: delicate claw-and-ball feet with prominent claws and raked-back rear talons; stretchers


Click on illustrations for larger size -- and additional information

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Chippendale side chair

Splat: pierced; carved tassel; foliate decoration in the shape of acanthus leaves; C scrolls

  • Typical Philadelphia deep foliate carving on knees
  • Typical Philadelphia stump rear legs

 

New York

New York

New York

New York

New York Chippendale side chair

Splat: pierced; carved tassel; foliate decoration in the shape of acanthus leaves and C scrolls

Splat set into shoe set in rear seat rail

  • Claw-and-ball front feet with high-set ankles
  • Squared, tapered rear legs

Boston

Boston

Boston

Boston

Boston Chippendale side chair



Photos and their arrangement © 2006 Chuck LaChiusa
| ...Home Page ...| ..Buffalo Architecture Index...| ..Buffalo History Index... .|....E-Mail ...| ..

Overhanging molding at top and between cupboard and drawers