Settes

The earliest forms of settee were simply extended versions of the arm chairs of the period, whether upholstered or, like Chippendale’s examples, with backs that were a two, three or four fold repeat of the single chair back with which the settee went en suite. These are, understandably, not very popular and it is not until the return of the fully upholstered back that any great enthusiasm emerges amongst general collectors.

From about 1770 onwards the fully upholstered settee, then the couch or day bed of Regency times and the exuberantly carved Victorian chaise longues and couches, the Chesterfield and all the other forms made their appearance in sequence. These are now part of the general antique collecting scene, whereas the upholstered late seventeenth century pieces and the hard-backed Chippendale versions are specialist taste.

The price is obviously greatly influenced by the condition of the upholstery, and unless otherwise stated, values are based on the piece being covered in good quality modern upholstery.