Pair of Ceylonese 19th Century Carved Ebony Side Chairs with Specimen Inlay Galle District

Pair of Ceylonese 19th Century (c.1840) Carved Ebony Side Chairs with Specimen Inlay Galle District These outstanding chairs were conceived in the early rococo revival style and executed in Ceylon in the middle of the 19th century. Made primarily of ebony of wonderful density, colour and surface, these chairs are masterpieces of the carver's art. Starting at the bottom, the front legs of the chair are conceived as elephant trunks with a slight cabriole aspect to them. The knees have carved elephant masks, the trunks holding leafy branches and the faces carved with real vitality and character. The legs are joined by a gadrooned apron with central cabochon feature and the front rail is carved with leafy ornament of great delicacy. The seats of the chairs are solid wood rather than caned or upholstered, suggesting that they were probably originally designed as hall chairs. With squab cushions they are very comfortable and could easily be utilised as dining chairs today if required. The uprights of the chairs have a moulded edge and further leaf carving but are quite subdued compared to the rest of the pieces, adding a welcome element of contrast and making the highly carved areas even more arresting as a result. The splats are carved as a series of overlapping leaves, the veins on each leaf discernible and highly naturalistic. Finally the top rails have further leaf carving and are inlaid in the centre with geometric paterae made up of various Ceylonese specimen wood samples and ivory. These chairs were made en-suite with a fabulous table which is also currently in our collection but the chairs and table are available for sale separately if required. Pieces like this represent the height of taste in Ceylonese carved ebony furniture made for the export market and the combination of inlay and carving on the chairs in particular is highly unusual. These are very decorative examples and their restrained colour palette means that they work well in contemporary or more traditional settings. Ivory Act 2018 (2022) compliant with Apha registration reference Tf3vmw7s