Side chair (one of a pair)

This chair and its pair, exhibited nearby, were based on a design in "London Chair-Maker' and Carvers' Book of Prices for Workmanship" (1802). The Seymours brought this design to life by playing light satinwood or birch veneers against dark mahogany. The crest rail with its carved, turned, and veneered elements; the delicate tracery of the back rails; and the raking front legs demonstrate the Seymours's impressive technical skill. Their shop was the only one in Boston known to have produced a chair of this complex design; they issued it in several variations.

In the Federal period, illustrated pattern books and price books began to play an increasingly significant role as design sources for American cabinetmakers. George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton are perhaps the most familiar names today among those who were published, but many others were present in the libraries of major cabinet shops of their era. For example, this elegant side chair, attributed to the Seymour shop of Boston, is based on a design in the London Chair-Maker' and Carvers' Book of Prices for Workmanship, published in 1802.The Seymours brought this design to life by playing light satinwood or birch veneers against dark mahogany. Several passages of the chair, including the curving crest rail with its carved, turned, and veneered elements, the delicate tracery of the back rails, and the raking front legs, demonstrate their great technical woodworking skills. The Seymours are the only Boston shop known to have produced this complex chair design, which they issued in several variations. This text was adapted from Ward, et al., MFA Highlights: American Decorative Arts & Sculpture (Boston, 2006) available at www.mfashop.com/mfa-publications.html.