Carved-Top Leather Chair

Unidentified maker, probably Boston or possibly New York City
Date: 1705-1715
Maker: Unidentified maker, probably Boston or possibly New York City
Dimensions: 46 1/2 H; (seat) 18 W x 15 D
Materials: Maple, beech, red oak with Russia leather and brass tacks
Credit: Gift of James Ten Eyck
Accession Number: 1908.1
Comments:

This early baroque style chair is a fine and rare example of a major branch of the chair-maker's art in colonial America. It also reflects the period of complex social change in which it was made, a time when Dutch cultural influence was declining and British influence was increasing. High-back, leather-upholstered chairs were a specialty of Boston craftsmen. Though hard to imagine looking at the cracked upholstery on this chair, Russia leather was a luxury material in its day. This particular chair was received as a gift to the Albany Institute's then-director, James Ten Eyck.