Armchair thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Armchair

ca. 1650 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Armchair of carved walnut, with seat and back of embossed leather. The design on the back consists of a coat of arms, with interlacing floral work on either side; the border consists of putti, masks, birds, flowers and fruit and has on the left a figure representing Geometry, whilst on the right is another figure representing Astrology. The whole pattern is enriched with gilding. The leather work is partly trimmed with an olive green silk fringe and is fixed to the framework of the chair by gilt-headed nails. The legs are united near the bottom by four plain bars, whilst above at both front and back, is an ornamental cross-bar, carved with an interlaced design in openwork.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Carved walnut; embossed and gilded leather; silk
Brief description
Armchair, Italy (possibly Piedmont), ca. 1650; walnut and embossed leather
Physical description
Armchair of carved walnut, with seat and back of embossed leather. The design on the back consists of a coat of arms, with interlacing floral work on either side; the border consists of putti, masks, birds, flowers and fruit and has on the left a figure representing Geometry, whilst on the right is another figure representing Astrology. The whole pattern is enriched with gilding. The leather work is partly trimmed with an olive green silk fringe and is fixed to the framework of the chair by gilt-headed nails. The legs are united near the bottom by four plain bars, whilst above at both front and back, is an ornamental cross-bar, carved with an interlaced design in openwork.
Dimensions
  • Height: 123.8cm
  • Width: 60.6cm
  • Depth: 56.7cm
Measured LC 15/11/10
Object history
This chair is one of a set of twelve which formerly belonged to Stefano Bardini. RF 60789/ 1894 ‘Chair with stamped leather back (damaged) No 546. 1000 lire)’.
Bought for £33 15s.

See also RF 63/1668.
Subjects depicted
Bibliographic references
  • H.Avray Tipping, Italian furniture of the Italian Renaissance as represented at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Country Life March 31st 1917, pp. 3-8
  • Burns, Fairburn and Boucher. Andrea Palladio 1508-1580 - The Portico and the Farmyard (The Arts Council of Great Britain, exhib. Cat.1975), no. 90
Collection
Accession number
323-1894

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Record createdFebruary 5, 2007
Record URL
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