Armchair (Renaissance Revival style), ca. 1875. Ebony, various woods, ivory, mother-of-pearl, modern upholstery, 39 x 25 7/8 x 26 3/8 in. (99.1 x 65.7 x 67 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George N. Richard, 71.95. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 71.95_bw.jpg)
Armchair (Renaissance Revival style), ca. 1875. Ebony, various woods, ivory, mother-of-pearl, modern upholstery, 39 x 25 7/8 x 26 3/8 in. (99.1 x 65.7 x 67 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. George N. Richard, 71.95. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 71.95_side_Design_scan_bw.jpg)
This chair was probably made in Milan, Italy, where there was a long tradition of elaborately inlaid furniture. Several versions of the chair are known with American family coats-of-arms and iconography, such as busts of Indians, incorporated into the marquetry, suggesting that these chairs were made specifically for the American market.