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Side Chair with Masonic Symbols
1760-1780
Maker not marked
USA: Massachusetts, Boston or Salem
Mahogany, maple, metal
overall: 37"h x 24"w x 21-1/2"d
Special Acquisitions Fund
92.001

Masonic Side Chair; Chippendale style; Masonic symbols on back of chair include: square and compasses and plumb level within entwined snake; shell and rondels with sun and moon on crest rail; cabriole legs, ball-and-claw front feet and four turned stretchers.


An active Freemason may have owned this chair or it could have been part of the furnishings of a fashion-conscious lodge in the 1700s. This chair incorporates Masonic symbols, such as a square, compasses and a plumb level, in the design of its back. The chair’s undulating top rail and curved front legs follow the style popularized by the cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779). His published designs found popularity in both Great Britain and the colonies. For further information, see Hamilton, John D., "Material Culture of American Freemasons," 1994, p. 55.



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