A Set of Four Mahogany 19th Century Hall Chairs

A set of four 19th century mahogany hall chairs, the rectangular backs peripherally carved with nailhead decoration, the seats supported upon turned column legs, terminating in block feet and conjoined with H-form stretchers.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Hall Chairs became a staple in any grand English dwelling. A product of the Grand Tour, the idea of the Hall Chair stemmed from the Italian ‘Scabeli’, an essential part of the 16th century nobel palazzi of Italy. It soon, however, adopted particularly English elements, adding to the austere English entrance hall. The objective of the chair was to provide occasional seating with little focus on comfort in favour of practicality. The decoration is essentially formal as these chairs were considered and designed to complement their architectural surroundings.