Walnut chair, with partially turned frame, and board seat, English, 1650-1675

Chair (back stool) of turned walnut, of pegged, mortice and tenon construction.

The back composed of two rails enclosing three spindles and tenoned into chamfered blocks on the uprights, all of 'bobbin' turning; with bun finials on the back uprights. The recessed, solid panel seat (comprised of four boards) sits in grooves cut in the seat rails, which are moulded on their outside faces. The front legs with rectangular blocks and vase-shaped turned sections; mid-height front and low side stretchers of 'bobbin' turning, with hexagonal blocks. The back legs (below the seat rail) and stretcher are plain, squared.

Modifications
Screws (plugged) used to reinforce the joints between the front left leg and left stretcher, and between the front right leg and right rail. Some pegs replaced.

Bought for £20 from C.G.Stirling, 38 Launceston Place (RF 29/5974). The vendor wrote to the Museum that 'I purchased recently in the country a Cromwellian chair...in original condition throughout. The colour is excellent. It is a scarce little piece + pleasing to look upon. I have only seen two chairs in walnut of this type - one at the house of Sir John Prestige (with spiral turning) ["illustrated , I think, in Symond's 'Present State of English Furniture'"] and the other in a London shop where I was asked £65 for it.'

Loaned to Sulgrave Manor, near Banbury 1968-1978

The recessed board seat would customarily have been used with a low cushion.

'Back stool' was the common name for side chairs of this basic type in the 17th century. From about 1615-1670 they were the commonest type of relatively comfortable chair in what today we would call middle- and upper-class homes, and remained in use long after that. They were often fitted with fixed covers of leather or wool, or used with a loose cushion supported on a board seat, as here. The design of this example, in walnut, was probably influenced by continental chairs and can be approximately dated by the style of turned ornament on the back and front legs.

This object is on loan to Sewerby Hall.

W.45-1929