Rare Venetian Gondola Chair (Poltroncina) c. 1735-1760

An exceptional Venetian gondola chair (poltroncina), dating from the mid-18th century, circa 1735–1760, made in Venice during the height of the city’s fascination with Chinese chinoiserie and Eastern styles.

The chair is finished in a rich red lacquer with parcel-gilt ornament, decorated with animated chinoiserie scenes of Asian figures in fantastical landscapes, flowering peonies, stylised foliage, scrolling  motifs and delicate pagoda-like architectural forms. Birds in flight and playful details enliven the surface, reflecting the exuberant decorative language fashionable in Venetian interiors of the period.

The sculptural, egg-shaped seat is characteristic of the gondola chair tradition, designed to envelop the sitter and emphasise comfort and presence. It retains its original thick tanned leather upholstery, secured with bold hand-applied stud work.

Executed using techniques typical of Venetian furniture made in imitation of Chinese lacquer, including applied and painted ornament beneath the lacquered surface, the chair survives in notably original condition, retaining its historic finish, upholstery and structure. Lift the seat to reveal a small secret compartment designed to contain the important sitters treasures, coins or documents.

A striking and sculptural example of 18th-century Venetian furniture in completely original condition, a true work of art and an important piece of Venetian history.

Footnote

The term poltroncina is the Italian diminutive of poltrona (armchair) and is used in Venetian inventories and later catalogues to describe small, often enveloping armchairs, including those of gondola form. The term refers to scale and type rather than a single, fixed construction.