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A TRULY AMAZING AND RARE 17TH CENTURY WESTMORLAND OAK ARMCHAIR. INITIALLED AND DATED I.F.A. 1678.

A TRULY AMAZING AND RARE 17TH CENTURY WESTMORLAND OAK ARMCHAIR. INITIALLED AND DATED I.F.A. 1678.

THESE BEAUTIFUL CARVED WESTMORLAND ARMCHAIRS HAVE A VERY STRONG NORSE AND CELTIC INFLUENCE DUE TO THE NORSE INVASIONS OF THIS AREA IN THE MIDDLE AGES, WHERE AN EXTENSIVE SCANDINAVIAN SUB-CULTURE EMERGED AND THE NORSE LANGUAGE WAS SPOKEN HERE THROUGHOUT THE MIDDLE AGES. ONE OF THE FAVOURITE DECORATIVE MOTIFS OF BOTH THE CELTIC AND THE SCANDINAVIAN PEOPLE WAS A COMPLEX INTERLACED STRAPWORK OF WHICH THIS CHAIR HAS IN THE BACK PANEL AND CAN BE FOUND ON ANGLO-VIKING STONEWORK IN THE NORTHWEST OF ENGLAND. ANOTHER CURIOUS AND DISTINCTIVE TYPE OF CARVING FOUND ON THESE CHAIRS IS AN UNUSUAL PAIR OF SNAIL-LIKE CREATURES WHICH ADORN THE CRESTING RAIL EACH SIDE OF THE INITIALS AND DATE ,IN THIS CASE I.F.A. 1678. THIS IS A WONDERFUL ARMCHAIR OF WHICH IS ALL ORIGINAL EXCEPT FOR A 2" STRIP OF WOOD TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT.
44" HIGH X 24" WIDE.FOR A SIMILAR EXAMPLE SEE VICTOR CHINNERY, PAGE 489. FIG 4:173.
STOCK NO 960.