The pierced caned panel back surmounted by a pierced foliate and C-scroll cresting and flanked by stop-fluted tapered uprights, the moulded arms with scroll terminals (one arm probably a later replacement) and moulded octagonal bulbous lobed and turned supports, on a caned seat with a later velvet squab cushion, on similar bulbous and panelled block carved legs joined by a pierced moulded and C-scroll stretcher and with ring turned stretchers to the side and reverse, on bulbous carved feet, with chair makers’ initials stamped to the reverse ‘L.M’ and with ‘D.D’ stamped twice to the base of one upright.

Chairs of this small scale and period are extremely rare. The quality of the chair’s execution demonstrates that it would have been made by a professional chair maker and the construction techniques mirror those found on full sized examples from the period. Two closely related beech armchairs of this scale are in the V&A Museum collection. The V&A examples (T.846Y-1974 and T.846V-1974) which accompany the celebrated Lord and Lady Clapham dolls (circa 1690-1700) follow the pattern of full sized chairs of the period.

The carved ornament on our chair is more ambitious than that seen on the V&A examples, and the choice of walnut rather than beech is also interesting. It might suggest that it was made to be admired by adults as a work of sculpture, rather than being played with by children. Also, the remarkable condition of this chair suggests that fortunately, in this instance, it has the case.