Matched Set of Six Early 19th Century English Yew & Elm Windsor Armchairs with Crinoline Stretchers

Matched Set of Six Early 19th Century English Yew & Elm Windsor Armchairs with Crinoline Stretchers, c.1820–1840 A fine matched set of six early 19th century English yew and elm Windsor armchairs, dating to around 1820–1840. Each chair is of elegant country house form, with shaped yew top hoops, yew arm rails, slender spindles, double pierced central splats and well-figured moulded elm seats. The chairs stand on turned front legs joined by traditional crinoline stretchers, giving the set a particularly attractive rhythm and strong period character. The quality of the timber is a notable feature of the set. The yew has a rich, warm colour with excellent variation through the hoops, arms, legs and stretchers, while the elm seats display very attractive figuring and surface movement. The chairs are well matched in form, scale and design, with only the natural variations one would expect in a genuine early 19th century Windsor set. These slight differences give the set an honest and pleasing character, rather than the uniformity of later reproduction chairs. The set has a very decorative English country furniture look, with the double pierced splats, shaped arms and crinoline stretchers providing both elegance and visual interest. They would work beautifully around a country kitchen table, breakfast table or informal dining setting, while also having sufficient quality and presence for a more traditional period or country house interior. The chairs have good colour and patina throughout, with surfaces that are very much in keeping with their age and use. They are not uniformly untouched, and one chair has had some refinishing to the surface, but the set presents extremely well as a whole and retains a warm, honest, period appearance.