Child's carved walnut chair upholstered in coloured woolwork; English, ca.1845

Child's side chair of carved walnut with a padded splat and sprung seat, both upholstered in Berlin woolwork (woollen embroidery) on canvas. The top rail is arched, and has a chinoiserie patterned finial of two opposing leafy scrolls with a buttoned top. The back stays have mushroom finials with button tops, and are chased and turned in a variety of patterns including upward tapering grooved columns, and geometrically patterned blocks. The splat is rectangular, with an arched top and fretwork curlicues at the sides; the back of the splat is covered with maroon baize edged with looped braid. The embroidery on the splat and seat is worked in a geometric pattern of squares, diamonds and crosses using wool in dark red, ochre and shades of green and blue, and embroidery silk in light yellow. The upholstered edges are finished with looped braid. The front legs are turned in patterns similar to those on the back stays, but with downward tapering grooved columns. The back legs are splayed, and all four legs are mounted on screw castors.

Given by Mrs D E Sawyer

Together with Misc.19/21-1967 (squails, toy animals and alphabet set) said to have belonged to a little girl who died aged 9 (family details said to be untraceable in 1990, according to original register entry). Gift of Mrs D E Sawyer (RF 67/ 805), but there is no information at all on the RF, not even that given above.

The colourful woollen embroidery of the chair's upholstery is known as Berlin woolwork because the technique and its earliest supplies of wool and patterns came via the German city of Berlin, and were based on German preferences. The soft, brightly coloured wools were stitched in patterns shown on a chart, and following the issue of the first one in 1804, the technique became such a craze between 1810 and 1840 that thousands of different charts were printed. This geometric pattern in slightly darker colours is typical of those used for upholstery.

MISC.22-1967