A pair of previously unknown Chippendale chairs were sold last autumn at Denham’s Auctioneers, Sussex (6 October, Lot 168).
The chairs are in the familiar Chippendale ‘cabriole’ style of the 1770s and share decorative elements with chairs at Nostell Priory and Petworth House in particular. Traces of the original bright blue paint can be seen underneath the present green and white scheme. Although catalogued as French, 19th or 20th century, the chairs were spotted by more than one potential buyer and made £50,000 (hammer price). This seems to be the going rate for unprovenanced Chippendale chairs; a pair sold by Christies in July 2018 made £55,000.