EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE LEANDER PLUMMER SET OF 8 CARVED FANTASY OAK CHAIRS

EXTRAORDINARY AND RARE LEANDER PLUMMER SET OF 8 CARVED FANTASY OAK CHAIRS

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Leander Allen Plummer II (American, 1857-1914), born in New Bedford, Mass. Circa early 1890s. This set of unique, incredible carved chairs were personally made by Plummer and took approx. 3 years to complete. Most are intricate and dated between 1890-1893. They were made for his family use and remained in the family. Plummer is best known for his extraordinary carved wood plaques of fish, some of which have attained prices of nearly $60,000. He originally studied engineering but in 1883 attended the Acadamie Julian in Paris. HIs great love and interest in fishing eventually led to his carvings and paintings depicting fish and wildlife. Plummer referred to his wood carvings of fish as “relief paintings” and exhibited at Doll & Richards Gallery in New York. He originally learned his craft for carving from a well known Scandinavian carver Karl von Rydingsvard. Each chair of quarter sawn oak in the Rococo taste, also categorized as “Fantasy Furniture”.

1) Chair depicting conjoined winged dragons centering a crest of a seated lion. 2) Chair carved with a pair of crocodiles with tails curling upwards at the center supporting the crest of a seated lion within their claw feet. 3) Carved with cherubs seated amongst dense flowering shrubs, a crest at the center with seated lion. 4-5) Each carved with a pair of Ibis or herons, one amongst cattails, the other amongst water plants. Each with a central crest of a seated lion. 6) Carved with a pair of winged griffins with plumage and long claw foot legs centering a crest with seated lion. 7) Carved with a group of King Fishers amongst dense foliage centering a crest with a seated lion. 8) Carved with a pair of conjoined winged long legged chimera. Each chair with a shaped saddle seat with deeply carved edges. Each with a varied assortment of carved legs including cherub figures, cattails, female figures, puttis, and a variety of turned and carved legs. All with deeply carved box stretchers. Most of the chairs carved with the maker’s initials “LAP” and dated 1890, 1891, and 1893.

PROVENANCE: These chairs were made for Plummer’s personal family use and remained in the Plummer family til the death of his two maiden daughters who died at the age of 90 and 91 in Lyme, New Hampshire. For the last 35 or 40 years they have been in the private collection of Margot Johnson who used this in her New York apartment as dining chairs.

SIZE: Height of back ranges from 51″ to 55″. Seats are 19″ h x approx. 18″ w each.