Lot #64: Set of 5 Antique Victorian Mahogany Balloon-Back Dining Chairs

An exceptional and highly decorative set of five mid-Victorian mahogany dining chairs dating to circa 1850–1860. These elegant side chairs feature the quintessential rounded balloon-shaped open backrests defined by graceful, continuous molded curves and a narrow, nipped-in waist. Each chair is accented with an intricately hand-carved, openwork foliate and scrollwork horizontal middle splat. The chairs rest on substantial, ring-turned and ringed baluster front legs with stylized bulbous feet—a classic late-Regency transitional detail—paired with gently swept out-splayed rear legs for optimal stability. They come freshly dressed in an eye-catching, high-quality crimson-red and gold satin-brocade upholstery featuring an elegant Art Nouveau-inspired trailing floral pattern. A beautiful addition to any traditional dining room or an exceptional find for a period furniture collector. The "balloon-back" style emerged in England during the early 1830s and achieved peak popularity by the Great Exhibition of 1851. It represented a shift away from the rigid, straight lines of earlier Georgian furniture toward the fluid, naturalistic curves of the Rococo Revival movement. The combination of a fully rounded, uninterrupted balloon crest rail alongside turned front legs places this specific set firmly between 1845 and 1860. After 1860, style trends shifted almost exclusively to curved cabriole legs. PICKUP NOTE: Access Storage - ample parking. Do not go to the front office - Please come to loading dock ramps and see our team member with your lot numbers/ invoice. Dimensions: 35" h x 18" w x 16" d Pickup category timeslot {A}