£8,750
Five Centuries: Furniture, Paintings & Works of Art from 1600 | 571
Auction: 4 September 2019 at 11:00 BST
in the Hepplewhite style, comprising a pair of armchairs and twelve side chairs, the oval moulded frame backs with central waisted vertical pierced splats, above wide serpentine seats covered in brown hide outlined with close nail head trim, raised on slender tapering fluted square legs (14)
Note: In 1703 the Methuen Treaty established the trade relations between Portugal and England, allowing English woollen cloth to be admitted into Portugal free of duty. In return, Portuguese wines imported into England would be subject to a third less duty in contrast to French imported wines. This was particularly important with regards to the port industry. As England was at war with France it became increasingly difficult to acquire wine and so port started to become a popular replacement. In 1717 a first English trading post was established in Porto. The production of port wine then gradually passed into the hands of a few English firms. The neo-Palladian British Factory House in Porto became the centre of the English commercial and social presence in Porto, and English culture and taste became an influential part of Porto’s society.
The increased presence of English port traders and merchants created a market for English influenced desigh, and furniture in the Chippendale, Hepplewhite, and Sheraton styles in the second half of the 18th century was in demand. While at first glance these pieces are recognisably English in nature, on closer examination the influence of local taste and workmanship becomes evident as these designs were interpreted through local hands.
The present long set of chairs have a distinctly Hepplewhite feel with their oval backs and gathered pierced splats. However the seats are wider than one would expect to find on their English counterparts and the legs taper to a narrow point, creating the impression the chairs are balanced on their toes, in a manner not seen in English versions. It is rare to come across sets of Anglo-Portuguese chairs of this period, and highly unusual to find a set with this number intact.