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Gouty chair
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Gouty chair
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (made)
- Date:
ca. 1800 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
Unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Mahogany, with brass fittings and black horsehair upholstery
- Museum number:
W.103-1978
- Gallery location:
In Storage
This chair is designed as a comfortable wing arm-chair on wheels. Winding handles on the arms propel the chair along. Invalid chairs had been used since the 17th century but chairs of this type were popularised by the inventor John Joseph Merlin (1735-1803), who designed a more up-to-date version. We do not know who made this example, but similar chairs were made by the cabinet-making firm Gillow & Co. in about 1800, described as 'Gouty chairs', for people suffering from the medical condition gout.
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