The ‘French’ armchairs with backs ‘a medallion’ correspond closely to Thomas Chippendale’s (1718-1779) neo-classical designs, fashionable in the 1770s. Although Chippendale established his reputation with designs in the Rococo, Chinese and ‘Gothick’ manner, published in his three editions of the Director, 1753, 1754 and 1762, it is his superb neo-classical furniture, demonstrating his unsurpassed mastery of material, technique and restrained design that is most admired and sought-after today. These chairs are a distinctive Chippendale model which the craftsman could adapt with additional embellishments, carving or modification to suit his client’s individual taste, ensuring that no two sets of chairs supplied to different clients were identical. A drawing for an oval-back armchair showing some of these different treatments, inscribed ‘Chipindale’ by his patron William Constable (1721-91) remains in the collection at Burton Constable, Yorkshire (C. Gilbert, The Life & Work of Thomas Chippendale, London, 1978, vol. II, p. 115, fig. 202). Many of the design and constructional features of the present chairs have come to be recognised as characteristic of the work of Chippendale.
Perhaps the closest in pattern is the set of twenty-two chairs, en-suite with two confidantes, two sofas and two stools almost certainly supplied by Chippendale to George Wyndham, 3rd Earl of Egremont, for either Egremont House, London, or for Petworth (op.cit. p.109, fig.187). An invoice was issued by Chippendale, Haig & Co. to Lord Egremont for furnishings supplied between 1777 - 79 including three beds with flowered velvet upholstery, thus confirming the relationship between patron and craftsman, and while the seat furniture is not listed in the invoice, it corresponds in design, styling and construction with other fully provenanced Chippendale commissions. These include seat furniture supplied to Sir Penistone Lamb, 1st Viscount Melbourne for Brocket Hall, 1773; for William Constable's London House on Mansfield Street, 1774 (now at Burton Constable); and to Sir Edward Knatchbull, Bt. for Mersham-le-Hatch, (1778) (op.cit. p.109, fig.186, pp.112-1123, figs.192-195, and p.115, fig.201). The above demonstrate Chippendale's modus operandi, the Egremont suite is perhaps the least adorned, the three other suites display more elaborate decoration in the form of guilloche, beading, stop-fluting and applied rosettes, always varying between suites to comply with the patron's requirements. Another related suite of eight armchairs and two sofas is in the Royal Collection. Bearing the brand of George IV and a Windsor Castle inventory number, it (and other related furniture recorded at Windsor Castle in 1866 and remaining in the Royal Collection) was possibly commissioned around 1773 by H.R.H. Prince William Henry, 1st Duke of Gloucester, to whom Chippendale's revised Director was dedicated (op.cit. vol.I, p.235-236 and vol.II, p.109, fig.185) and indeed payments to Chippendale discovered in the Prince's bank account confirm some form of business was completed. Taken in combination with constructional features such as the distinctive cramp-cuts to the seat rails and the use of lime wood, these stylistic characteristics provide ample evidence to support a clear attribution to Thomas Chippendale's workshop.

While no bills have yet come to light proving a link between Thomas Chippendale's business and Sir Charles Cocks, the pair of chairs offered here imply a significant commission unknown until now. Charles Cocks served as M.P for Reigate, succeeding his uncle in 1747, and in 1772, following his fathers' death, he was created Baronet in recognition of his political service. The same year he married Anne Shute, and it seems possible that around this time he may have commissioned Chippendale to supply sumptuous furnishings for a London house, including seat furniture and torcheres. The handwritten label suggests that the chairs at least were later moved to Eastnor Castle which was built between 1812 -1820 for the 2nd Lord Somers by Sir Robert Smirke. A bergere from the same suite of seat furniture and from the same family source was sold Christie's, London, 4 July 2002, lot 39 (£107,850 including premium), while another, its pair, had been sold anonymously Christie's, New York, 19 April 2001, lot 278 ($52,875 including premium).