Side Chair
Artist unknown (American, 18th century)
This chair, part of a set of at least eight, was originally purchased by John Wister for his house, Grumblethorpe, in Germantown, Pennsylvania. Wister built the house in 1744, and the chairs were most likely made soon after its completion. The style of the chair is transitional, between the late Baroque and the early Rococo. The pierced chair back and the ruffled shell on the seat rail were popular treatments on Baroque-style chairs. The elaborate carving, rectangular backs, and trapezoidal seat were mainstays of chair design in the Rococo period.