The middle section, or splat, of this chair back, with its Gothic pointed arches, may be related to the style invented by the English cabinetmaker Thomas Chippendale. English chairs of this pattern are known, so the design probably originated there and was transmitted to this side of the Atlantic, perhaps by means of an imported example. This chair comes from a set made for Thomas and Elizabeth Edwards of Philadelphia, a furniture making center famous for its carved ornament. This chair features several finely and naturalistically carved details.