Leather armchair
Unknown Artist
1725–45
Medium
Maple, birch
Dimensions
48 3/4 x 24 1/2 x 17 in. (123.8 x 62.2 x 43.2 cm)
Classification
Armchair
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William A. Moore, 1923
Accession Number
23.80.6
Art Historical Context
This elegant leather armchair, crafted in America between 1725 and1745, exemplifies the refined furniture of the colonial era. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Wing, it reflects the growing sophistication of early American craftsmanship during a time when colonists drew inspiration from English and European designs. With its generous proportions—standing 48 3/4 inches tall—this piece would have been a statement of comfort and status in a prosperous household, likely used in parlors or studies by the emerging merchant class. Constructed from maple and birch, sturdy native hardwoods a...