Petersburg, Virginia, 1765-1790
Black walnut
Catalog no. 22
The Virginia chair descended in the family of the noted politician John Randolph “of Roanoke” (1773-1833). It is typical of seating furniture produced in Petersburg, Virginia, circa 1750-1775. Many details on the Petersburg chair relate directly to those on contemporary British models, which is not surprising given the city's strong economic and cultural ties to the mother country. The provincial British chair bears a striking resemblance to the Petersburg example. Documented chairs with virtually identical voluted ears were especially popular in Norwich in East Anglia.