oak, with turned decoration and cane seat; after a design by E.W. Godwin, manufactured by Collier & Plucknett for William Kenrick, the Grove, Harborne, English 1875-80

Four legs of circular section, slightly tapering towards the ground, each with a moulding at the top and above this of square section. They are joined by two stretchers which cross in the middle. These are dowelled into the legs, widen towards the centre where they have mouldings on each side and then change from circular to square section for the intersection. The back legs slope backwards below the square part. The seat frame is plain, circular and carved. A little back from the intersection of front legs and seat rail rise the arm - supports square and flush with the visible (uncarved) section of the seat rail on the inside and projecting beyond the seat rail at the outside where they are square but with chamfered corners. They support tapering columns with simple mouldings at top and bottom. These support the arms which, while curving slightly inwards, rise as S curves to meet the side members of the back towards the top. These side members are a continuation of the back legs, commencing as bases with square fronts but champered backs surmounted by short columns with a base moulding broken by a champered square band where the bottom cross rail of the back joins them. Then again continuing as columns with base mouldings to the top, whereafter they join with the arms. They change to a square section where the top rail of the back joins them. Above this they are surmounted by small pyramids. The bottom and top rails of the back which are curved are joined vertically in the centre by a narrow rail which is broken by three horizontal rails, joining the side members. The two lower rectangles formed by these intersections are broken by two vertical rails in their centres. On the front inside seat rail is nailed a brass label reading 'COLLIER & PLUCKNETT CABINET MAKERS AND UPHOLSTERERS WARWICK & LEAMINGTON'.

Given by William Kenrick, Esq.

E.W. Godwin originally designed armchairs of this type for his dining room in 1867 and his design was illustrated in William Watt's Art Furniture catalogue of 1877, an upholstered version in the frontispiece and a cane-seated version in plate 15. The armchair was one of Godwin's most popular designs and many different versions were made by various manufacturers. The example in the Museum was made by the firm of Collier and Plucknett of Warwick and bears their label.

Although this armchair was part of the furnishing of The Grove, Harborne, rebuilt 1877-8 for the industrialist, M.P. and collector, William Kenrick, it is not clear when or for which room it was originally supplied. The 1911 Inventory of The Grove (Birmingham City Archives MS 400/93; two copies, Buildings File, Information Section, Department of Furniture,Textiles and Fashion) lists 'Two oak occasional arm chairs, circular cane seats 7.0.0.' in the Library on the ground floor, p. 22. There are cane chairs listed in other rooms in 1911 but without sufficient detail to identify them. In 1962 , when the Museum acquired this armchair, it was one of a set of four in the Library.

When this chair design was first produced in about 1877, it was described as being in the 'Old English' or 'Jacobean' style. However, it contains none of the intricate carving or bulbous, turned shapes that we would consider typical of Jacobean furniture of the early 17th century. Instead, the simple, openwork back seems to owe much more to Japanese designs, while the simple, down-curving arms are reminiscent of Regency chair designs of about 1810-1820.

Edward Godwin was one of the first designers to be influenced by Japanese principles of design, and became one of the best-known designers of the new Aesthetic movement. This particular chair was purchased by the M. P. and industrialist William Kenrick (1831-1919) for his new house, The Grove, Harborne, Birmingham, in about 1880. Kenrick's house was in the Italianate Gothic style, but he furnished its interiors in the Aesthetic taste. Collier & Plucknett, the makers of the chair, were based in Warwick, not far from Birmingham. They produced high-quality furniture in a number of innovative and fashionable styles.

CIRC.643-1962