Attributed to John Linnell (1729-1796): A George III carved mahogany 'Prince of Wales feathers' armchair, late 18th C.

H 95 - L 58 - D 65 cm

Ref.

- A similar chair is part of the V&A collection (Victoria and Albert Museum), Museum number 1458-1904 (link).

This chair pattern, with a heart-shaped back incorporating the Prince of Wales feathers, was very popular in the late 1780s and 1790s, and was probably manufactured by several different firms. The firm of Gillow & Company, of Lancaster and London, was making chairs of this type, which was called ‘Drapery and feather back’, by 1788. The design may have been suggested by the fact that, in 1787, the Prince of Wales took power as Regent when his father, George III, suffered a temporary bout of insanity as a result of the illness porphyria.