This is one of a pair of ball and claw foot side chairs in the 18th-century Newport decorative arts collection, originally part of a larger set. They are a good representation of what a typical “Chippendale” chair by John Townsend might look like. The arched section at the center of the crest rail is crosshatched, a favorite decorative device of Newport craftsmen. During the second half of the eighteenth century, chairs with interlaced c-scroll splats were popular with cabinetmakers along the east coast. The splats on this pair of side chairs are based on English printed prototypes, as was a common practice in each of the major colonial port cities. This set was also bequeathed to Mary Townsend Brinley, John Townsend’s daughter.
