Italian
Armchair or Dante Chair, 19th century
Walnut, 91.7 x 65 x 46 cm (36 1/8 x 25 9/16 x 18 1/8 in.)
This folding scissor-shaped armchair is made of dark brown stained wood with simple rectangles of tooled brown leather as its back and seat. The reverse curves of the carved supports are connected by a central cross piece decorated with large carved rosettes. Two smaller, simpler cross pieces connect the back and front legs. The supports and arms are decorated in a carved fish-scale pattern within plain raised borders. The arms end in a carved leaf form with a stylized human face.
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.