Side Chair 1770 - 1790

This side chair, crafted by Major John Dunlap, features a motif of a stylized shell. The shell appears both at the crest of the chair and just below the seat, each time radiating a sense of upward movement. Across cultures, the shell has carried a variety of symbolic weights. We find it as a symbol of pilgrimage, rebirth, and feminine power, often connected to Venus, born from the sea. When we look at Botticelli's famous painting, we can see her emerging from a giant scallop shell. But note how the shell motif has evolved in the opposite direction in this chair! Here it has been flattened into a mere fragment; its radiating lines are now mere decorations. The persistence of the shell motif is a testament to humanity’s collective memory, a reservoir where symbols linger, awaiting rediscovery and reinvention. It reminds us that the act of sitting—of finding rest and repose—can also resonate with these ancient connections.