This armchair is a finely crafted 1870s interpretation of a form generally associated with early-nineteenth-century European and American Neoclassical furniture. Elaborate marquetry had become the height of fashion in New York by the 1870s. The line of bell flowers on each arm is typical of Neoclassical furniture decoration. The marquetry on the sides complements the classical shape of the chair as it depicts Hercules with his shield and spear as he battles the Nemean lion. The back of the chair bears the Kennedy coat of arms, and was possibly first owned by David Sprout Kennedy.