Private Collection, London
Acquired by the present owner from the above, circa 1990

Alan Bowness, ed., Henry Moore, Complete Sculpture, Sculpture 1949-54, vol. II, London, 1986, no. 276, illustration of the present work in a previous state p. 28

In good condition. Some minor nicks to the surface. Some losses to the patina on the bottom. Repaired breaks in center of chest and at base of left arm as well as at front and back junctions between chair legs and rocker base. These may be inherent to the artist's process of using a plaster to inform bronze casting. Some minor surface dirt.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Beginning in 1950, Henry Moore executed a series of sculptures of a mother seated in a rocking chair and lifting her child in the air. The present work was inspired by the artist's own family life, and he regarded this series of rockers not only as works of art but also as functioning objects to amuse his four year old daughter. "The rocking chair sculptures were done for my daughter Mary, as toys which actually rock," the artist wrote. "I discovered while doing them that the speed of the rocking depended on the curvature of the base and the disposition of the weights and balances of the sculpture, so each of them rocks at a different speed" (Henry Moore & John Hedgecoe, Henry Moore, New York, 1968, p. 178).

Over the course of three years (1950-52), the sculptor created six versions of the rocking chair, the present work being the third of four vers﷽ions com⛦pleted in 1950. In some of the versions, the chair has a ladderback or a hollowback against which the mother sits. But in the present work, the mother's body and the structure of the chair are one and the same, demonstrating Moore's ability to abstract the human form and anthropomorphize inanimate objects. 

The present work lacks the mother's arms and the form of the baby, further highlighting the 👍plaster's importance in preparation for casting in bronze; the work is likely to have been cut into sections for the casting process.  Other cut marks are visible on the wor😼k's surface, which Moore finished in a warm, toned shellac (made with walnut oil) in order to fully consider the surfaces and negative space of the form he had sculpted.  

Another view of the present work