Italian, Northern Italy
Armchair (Poltrona da parata), 17th century
Upholstered walnut, 127.4 x 60.7 x 54.3 cm (50 3/16 x 23 7/8 x 21 3/8 in.)
The back and seat of this armchair are square. Carved wooden floral finials stand on each end of the top rail. The back of the chair is upholstered in a red formal floral brocade, studded on the sides, and decorated at the top and bottom with red tasseled fringe. Straight arms rest on carved supports. The seat is upholstered with the same red brocade, studded at the apron, and decorated with tasseled fringe. The straight legs are slightly curved at the bottom. A carved stretcher with a central, blank cartouche flanked by two floral motifs appears in the front; a decorative piece of the scrolled carving to our right, below the stretcher, has broken off.
Gothic Room
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.