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Georgian Pine Settle in Original Cream Paint
Ref: 1689
An antique pine settle from the Welsh Borders.
18th century. Dry scraped to its first paint decoration and then wax finished.
This piece was painted over in black when we acquired it, a re-decoration from the 19th century when sombre wood tones were in fashion for furniture to counterpoise the exotic and colourful interior decorating schemes of the Victorians.
Some would have called this black finish the original but the earlier of these settles graced very simple and spare dwellings and were often painted cream (like this one) or blue or blue-green.
As regular browsers of this site will know the form of these settles was designed to shelter human bodies by a fireside in draughty stone dwellings. The high back, the rear that fits neat and flush to the floor, the pronounced wings to the side, and all tightly built and proportionate to human scale.
It is almost as if you can speak of these benches as having an interior and an exterior. Walk into a seaside inn and see one and they can look like a boat turned on its end or a closet seat (as opposed to a closet bed). In this one the paint wear reveals where someone habitually fell asleep by the fire and rested their head on the side wing.
The spandrels are decorated. It may have had three drawers but they have been missing a long time if they were ever there as the supporting member below the seat is worn smooth by small feet resting on it.
Herefordshire c.1780
H: 159cm (62.6in)
W: 188cm (74.0in)
D: 55cm (21.7in)
SOLD
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