The chair's serpentine crest rail has broad, rounded shoulders, and is continuous with S-curved stiles that descend to become the chair's columnar rear legs. The splat is pierced in an interlaced trefoil pattern of overlapping strapwork flanked by a pair of scrolls, sometimes described as a "gothic" splat. The balloon or compass seat frame is plain, unornamented, and has a vertical wall with rounded upper rim. A separate slip seat drops into the frame. The rear legs are square in profile at the joint with the seat frame, and rounded and raked as they descend to the floor. Each side of the seat frame joins a rear leg with a mortise-and-tenon joint. The rear seat frame is straight, with a double-pinned tenon joint to the rear legs. The front legs, dowelled into the seat frame, have a shallow cabriole contour, ending in high, square, claw-and-ball feet. Each knee is carved with a stylized upright five-lobed shell, and is flanked by a pair of knee brackets that are S-curved with a deeply incised scroll. The front seat frame is marked III. This entry was prepared with the assistance of the chair's present owners, whose help is acknowledged with thanks.

History of purchase at sale of Franklin family possessions