the green velvet with stumpwork embroidery in metal thread of the coat of arms of William Charles Henry, Prince of Orange-Nassau, afterwards William IV Stadholder of the Netherlands (b.1711 - d.1751)

Property from the Collection of Gordon and Anne Getty, Sotheby's New York, April 14-15, 2000, lot 356 ($17,250)

Reinier Baarsen, Dutch Furniture 1600-1800, Amsterdam, 1993

Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Rococo in Nederland, exhibition catalogue 2001

Very large scale; impressive and ready to place. Embroidery has been applied to a later green velvet which is in good condition with some indentations to the seat. Metal thread to embroidery has tarnished with age. Gilding with rubbing and some chips to gesso; some minor areas of retouching and inpainting. Right front leg with age crack along construction joins.
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.

Between 1581 and 1795 the united Dutch provinces were officially a republic, governed by princes of the House of Orange who acted as heads of state with the title of 'Stadtholder'.  Stadhoudersstoelen, or 'Stadtholder's chairs', were kept in the townhalls and seats of government of numerous Dutch cities as special ceremonial seats for the visiting Prince of Orange. Of great scale to indicate the Stadtholder's power, these chairs also had footstools and cushions for comfort. 

The present chair is similar to a Stadtholder's chair in the Rijksmuseum made in 1747 for Prince William IV (1711-1751) to use in the Court of Justice in the Binnenhof at The Hague (Fig. 2; ill. Rijksmuseum 2001, no.23). That chair is similarly crowned with the same coat of arms; however, it is of a much more exuberant Rococo style. The more refined style of this chair, ther🦄efore, point to it being made for William IV's son, Prince William V (1748-1806). Other similar examples include a Stadtholder chair at Assen dating from 1762, a Stadtholder's chair probably from the Hague circa 1768 (ill. Baarsen 1993, p.108♛-9), and a further chair retaining its original footstool in the Rijksmuseum (Fig.; ill. Rijksmuseum 2001, no.24).