An unusual large carved oak and leather elbow chair attributed to Georg Hulbe (1851- 1917)

An unusual large carved oak and leather elbow chair attributed to Georg Hulbe (1851- 1917)

£3,600
Reference

3804

The oak frame with carved uprights flanking a raked leather-covered back with padded arms and the seat covered in the original leather.

Attributed to Georg Hulbe, Hamberg.

Germany, circa 1900

The Viking Revival carved uprights with ball finials are noticeably similar to those on a chair originally in the Havemeyer Mansion, New York (see image) - one of Tiffany Studios great interior commissions. The same model of that chair can be found in the Musee D'Orsay, Paris, and, although at one point it was attributed firmly to Tiffany Studios, the attribution has since altered to Louis Comfort Tiffany and George Hulbe, a leather craftsman and furniture maker based in Frankfurt, following the discovery of an article in a period Art Journal reviewing the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. The article clearly shows the chair with the attribution to Hulbe.

Whether Hulbe was the designer of this chair, or simply the maker carrying out a Tiffany design is still unknown.

Although a much simplified chair in comparison to the Havemeyer model, the quality of leather, carving and timber, not to mention the signature 'Celtic knot' carving to the uprights, all point to Hulbe.This simplicity, however, suggests a much more modern approach to design, moving away from the highly elaborate American Aesthetic to a more rigid and pared down form.70

Dimensions:

Height 102 cm / 40 "
Width 70 cm / 27 34"
Depth 57 cm / 22 "

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