This armchair originated in Kashmir and probably dates from about 1870. Kashmir is famous for its painted wood and papier-mâché wares. Traditionally, these were pen boxes and Qur'an stands, but by the 19th century Indian makers were producing a range of goods specifically for Western tourists. These included painted chairs of this type, which are first recorded in 1864. Critics thought that these chairs had 'a vulgar appearance, and soon get worn and tawdry'. However, this chair has never been used, so its 'thousand flowers' decoration is beautifully preserved.
Physical description
The tropical hardwood chair is of joined construction and appears to use mortise and tenon joints, which are concealed under the surface decoration. The rear seat rail is tenoned and pegged into the back uprights, which are each carved from one piece of wood. Both side rails are tenoned (and pegged) into the back uprights and front legs. A rebate has been cut into the back upright creating a ledge on which the rail rests. This has been glued in place, and has probably been strengthened with a dowel or peg. The front rail is tenoned into each of the front legs. The scrolled arm supports are cut back so that they hook over the side rail and have been glued in place, and are possibly strengthened with a dowel or peg. At the front they are tenoned into the arms and at the rear into the back uprights just below the top rail. The top rail is carved from a single piece of wood which terminates at each end in two carved and gilded scrolls. The slightly canted seat incorporates original caning that demonstrates a conventional, octagonal pattern. Instead of being worked on a drop-in frame, the caned seat forms part of the chair, with the holes having been drilled into the rails.
The carved wood is gilded with polychrome painted floral decoration. The painted top rail demonstrates low relief carving, which terminates at each end in two gilded scrolls. Two gilded scrolls are also carved in low relief into the centre of the mid rail. The top rail adjoins the arms, which follow the line of the seat rail and are slightly splayed, terminating in scrolled handles which adjoin the seat rail. The back uprights are carved in a gentle s-form and are gently raked below the seat. Sabre-form front legs mirror the curvature of the back legs. The trapezoidal caned seat (original caning) demonstrates a conventional, hexagonal pattern. The surface decoration, which covers all the parts of the chair (front and back) normally visible, shows gilding that is over-painted in a dense design with a scheme of flowers, birds and insects in pinks, blues and greens. Especially prominent are pink roses and blue hyacinths. The underside of the seat rails are gilded, with the inner faces (normally invisible) painted green.
Place of Origin
Srinagar, India (made)
Date
ca. 1870 (made)
Artist/maker
unknown (production)
Materials and Techniques
Painted and varnished wood, with caned seat
Marks and inscriptions
A bronze, circular, paper label without an inscription has been pasted to the inner face of the front rail.
Dimensions
Height: 88 cm, Height: 46.5 cm of seat, Width: 61.3 cm, Depth: 63.4 cm
Object history note
Bought from the Annual International Exhibition, London, 1871 for £12 10s.
Historical context note
'The chair is based on English prototypes of the 1820s and 1830s and represents the continued taste for Regency furniture in British India throughout the later nineteenth century .... However, the chair differs from English examples in the size of its top rail, which is disproportionately large'. (Jaffer, 2001. p. 297)
Descriptive line
Painted and varnished wood chair with caned seat, Srinagar, ca. 1870.
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
Amin Jaffer, Luxury Goods From India: the art of the Indian Cabinet-Maker, London : V&A, 2002, pp. 112-113, ill. ISBN: 1 85177 381 9. Jaffer, Amin Furniture from British India and Ceylon: A Catalogue of the Collections in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Peabody Essex Museum. London : V&A Publications, 2001. 416 p., ill. ISBN 1851773185, p.297. pl.116.
Labels and date
Armchair
About 1870
India (Srinagar)
Tropical hardwood, carved, mordant-gilded and painted; with original varnish
Seat (original): cane (rattan)
Museum no. 1598-1871
Kashmir has long been famous for painted and varnished papier mâché wares such as pen boxes. The techniques were also applied to wooden furniture for Europeans, such as this chair.
The jewel-like decoration is painted over gilding on gesso. After burnishing, the surface was protected by a varnish traditionally based on linseed oil and gum resin.
[01/12/2012]
Materials
Wood
Subjects depicted
Flowers; Birds; Plants
Categories
Furniture
Collection code
SSEA
