A REGENCY MAHOGANY METAMORPHIC LIBRARY CHAIR

This metamorphic armchair corresponds to a design first published in Rudolph Ackermann's Repository of Arts, July 1811 and captioned 'This ingenious piece of furniture is manufactured at Messrs. Morgan and Sanders's, Catherine-St. Strand' (P. Agius, Ackermann's Regency Furniture & Interiors, Marlborough, 1984, p. 60, pl. 29). The chair was 'considered the best and handsomest article ever yet invented, where two complete pieces of furniture are combined in one - an elegant and truly comfortable armchair and a set of library steps'. A closely related chair was sold Christie's London, 20 March 2011, Lot 187 (£8,125 including premium).