The Cape Chair (bilingual; 1970) . . .

". . . The illustrated edition of the catalogue of an exhibition held in the Stellenbosch Museum in April 1969 compiled by Hans Fransen"

Some 26 museums and private collectors contributed to this exhibion, photographed for the illustrated catalogue by Alice Mertens and the designer of the book, Willem Malherbe. This is number 435 of an edition limited to 1000 copies.

The catalogue illustrates 81 chairs representing eight broad types -- Cape, Corner, Spindle, Tulbagh, Louis XV, Queen Anne, Neo-Classical and Regency chairs. The introduction and commentary are by the incomparable Hans Fransen, who was curator of the Stellenbosch Museum, which occupies a building dating from 1781, at the time of the exhibition, but who revised and prepared this illustrated version at the suggestion of Marius le Roux, his successor at the museum.

The two-colour printed and varnished unclipped dustjacket is chipped and rubbed. The red paper-board covers, printed in black and white, have shelf-wear at the foot. The single-sided grey endpapers are illustrated in a darker grey with drawings of 12 of the chair styles from the exhibition, and are bright and unmarked. The 80 pp of text and monochrome half-tone illustrations are printed on 120 g/m2 matt art paper, and are similarly in original condition.

This is a desirable copy of the illustrated catalogue of one of the most valuable exhibitions of Cape furniture from the late-17th to the mid-19th century ever held.