Chair
1670-1720 (made)
| Place of origin |
Chairs without arms were first constructed in Britain from about 1600 and the name they were given at the time, ‘backstool’, describes how they had developed, as a stool with a back held between elongated back-legs.
During the 17th century regional variations of simple carved decoration in woodwork developed. On this chair the carved crest rail and pyramidal finials on the back uprights are characteristics of chairs made in southern Lancashire and northern Cheshire from about 1650. The geometrical pattern in the back panel was 'chip-carved' into the surface, using chisel or knife blades. The chair came to the Museum in 1898 from the collection of Charles H. Marshall of East Retford, a notable collector of British furniture.
On long term loan to Turton Tower, Bolton.
During the 17th century regional variations of simple carved decoration in woodwork developed. On this chair the carved crest rail and pyramidal finials on the back uprights are characteristics of chairs made in southern Lancashire and northern Cheshire from about 1650. The geometrical pattern in the back panel was 'chip-carved' into the surface, using chisel or knife blades. The chair came to the Museum in 1898 from the collection of Charles H. Marshall of East Retford, a notable collector of British furniture.
On long term loan to Turton Tower, Bolton.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Oak, panel-back chair with carved crest rail and chip-carved back panel. |
| Physical description | Oak, panel-back chair with slightly raking back, of joined and pegged construction. The back panel is chip-carved with a lozenge containing leaf ornament, within four half-rosettes with semicircular border. The scroll-carved top rail of the back sits between the square-section back uprights with pyramidal finials. The front legs and high front stretcher are turned, the low side and back stretchers are rectangular and plain. The front and side seat rails have a simple, scratch-moulding. The seat consists of three boards, set laterally, nailed to the rails and cut with a moulded edge. Modifications Most joints appear to have been repegged. Repairs where left back upright meets seat rail and left stretcher, and to rear stretcher. Rearmost plank of seat replaced |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought for £5 from Charles H. Marshall, The Avenue, East Retford RF 86073/1898 |
| Summary | Chairs without arms were first constructed in Britain from about 1600 and the name they were given at the time, ‘backstool’, describes how they had developed, as a stool with a back held between elongated back-legs. During the 17th century regional variations of simple carved decoration in woodwork developed. On this chair the carved crest rail and pyramidal finials on the back uprights are characteristics of chairs made in southern Lancashire and northern Cheshire from about 1650. The geometrical pattern in the back panel was 'chip-carved' into the surface, using chisel or knife blades. The chair came to the Museum in 1898 from the collection of Charles H. Marshall of East Retford, a notable collector of British furniture. On long term loan to Turton Tower, Bolton. |
| Bibliographic reference | Chair; the panel back is carved with a lozenge containing leaf ornament, and having on each side a half-rosette with semicircular border; the top rail of the back is shaped with a cresting. The front legs and rail are turned, the two side and the back stretchers are plain.
Lancashire. Middle of the 17th century.
From: H. Clifford Smith, Catalogue of English Furniture & Woodwork
(London 1930), cat. 533. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 244-1898 |
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| Record created | February 13, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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