Easy Chair
Eastern Virginia, ca. 1745
Black walnut with beech

Used by the Tayloe family on the Northern Neck of Virginia for more than two centuries, this easy chair was altered several times to meet their changing needs. The shapely cabriole legs were cut in half and mounted on iron castors. The original webbing in the seat was replaced with springs in the nineteenth century, and the weakened arms were restuffed with corn shucks. There is evidence of at least seven upholstery textiles, from the original blue and cream silk damask to a 1950s burgundy-colored wool.