Late C18th Hepplewhite Elbow Chair

A fine and rare original Hepplewhite, mahogany open armchair, the shield back with five reeded splats each finished at the top with carved leaves clasped in the centre by a beaded ring, emanating from a sunburst, set within the shield-shaped frame decorated with a running guilloche, supported by stiles of stylised carved leaves, over a characteristically wide upholstered seat, the curved rails decorated with conforming carved detail and finished on the front edges with floral paterae, flanked by expressive down-swept arms terminating in scroll ends displaying plain arm rests above carved acanthus leaves and conforming guilloche band carving, raised on tapered reeded front legs finished at the top with lotus leaves and terminating in ball feet and plain splayed back legs. English, circa 1780

Literature: Ralph Edwards, The Shorter Dictionary of English Furniture, p.155, fig.148 for an almost identical chair.