A rare, unrecorded, pair of 18th century, ash, spindle-back chairs

The top rail with a vestigial cresting. The top of the turned stiles with an 's' scroll. The back with a triple row of spindels with five at the top, nine in the middle and five on the bottom. The rush seats replaced. The tapering front legs ending in pad feet, and the back legs straight back with incisings. Joined by a front stretcher with baluster and ball turning and double side and back stretchers the lower elegantly baluster turned, and a central stretcher. Excellent colour and patina. English, fourth quarter of the 18th century, probably Leeds.

These chairs are the only, known, examples of this design. They incorporate the yoke top, which was highly fashionable at the time, which is not recorded running into an 'S' scroll at the top of turned uprights. The triple rows of spindles create fluidity and elegance, which is balanced by the turned stretchers and solid, tapering legs. The colour and patina have matured to an excellent quality over time. Given the utalitarian nature of these chairs, and the fragility of rushing, this replacement is acceptable and common.