A Danish carved beech and needlework upholstered chair back settee, circa 1740, the foliate and shell carved top rail above triple vase shaped splats flanked by otswept scrolling arms, the padded and tapestry upholstered seat decorated with scenes of village life within a floral border, above a shell and foliate carved apron, on tapering cabriole legs at the front, 108cm high, 190cm wide, 57cm deep Provenance: Waystrode Manor, Kent Inherited by family descent (previously purchased from Otto Berg, Copenhagen) The following provenance from the confirmed account of Otto Berg: Purchased from a Private Collection, Denmark (The collection of Hjalmar Bruhn) By firm repute Clausholm Castle near Randers, Denmark By family repute, the seat of this chair back settee was embroidered by Anna Sophie Reventlow who spent the last 13 years of her life under house arrest at her family’s estate, Clausholm in Jutland. Anna Sophie Reventlow was the youngest daughter of Duke Conrad Reventlow on Clausholm Estate. When she was only 18 years old, she met the young King Frederik IV at a masked ball in 1711. The King was so taken by the beautiful Anna Sophie, that he had her abducted and smuggled away from Clausholm soon after and he married her the same night to the “left hand”. The King was already married with Queen Louise of Mecklenburg which meant that Anna Sophie became the King’s legitimate Mistress. King Frederik IV married Anna Sophie the day after Queen Louise died in 1721 and this time to the right hand and instated her as his Queen and this was something the future King, Christian VI, never forgave being the son of King Frederik IV and Louise of Mecklenburg. When King Frederik IV died in 1730, Anna Sophie was banished from Copenhagen and put under house arrest at her ancestral estate, Clausholm, where she lived until her death in 1743. In the 13 years that passed, she busied herself by renovating and beautifying the wonderful Clausholm Castle and she also passed her time embroidering among other things, the seat on the chair back settee. Anna Sophie Reventlow died on 7th January 1743, 49 years old.