Chair
1745-1765 (made), 1740-1750 (embroidered)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Object Type
This chair is part of a set of six. It has an upholstered seat and back which are covered with embroidery in coloured wool on canvas ground, with a walnut frame. Its back and seat depict two different scenes.
Materials & Making
Needlework in wool on canvas was considered to be the most durable form of upholstered seat covering, and was sometimes made by the ladies of the house. Contemporary book illustrations were used as sources for the needlework patterns.
Subjects Depicted
The back shows a pastoral scene: two figures in fanciful costume with a cauldron. The seat shows a scene from Aesop's Fables: a crane thrusting its bill down the throat of a wolf (from 'The Wolf and the Crane').Further Information
Investigation of the under upholstery has revealed that the present 18th-century needlework did not originally belong to the chair. It was applied in the late 19th- or early 20th century. The chair legs originally had rimmed feet.
This chair is part of a set of six. It has an upholstered seat and back which are covered with embroidery in coloured wool on canvas ground, with a walnut frame. Its back and seat depict two different scenes.
Materials & Making
Needlework in wool on canvas was considered to be the most durable form of upholstered seat covering, and was sometimes made by the ladies of the house. Contemporary book illustrations were used as sources for the needlework patterns.
Subjects Depicted
The back shows a pastoral scene: two figures in fanciful costume with a cauldron. The seat shows a scene from Aesop's Fables: a crane thrusting its bill down the throat of a wolf (from 'The Wolf and the Crane').Further Information
Investigation of the under upholstery has revealed that the present 18th-century needlework did not originally belong to the chair. It was applied in the late 19th- or early 20th century. The chair legs originally had rimmed feet.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Walnut, veneered on beech; needlework in wool on linen canvas; modern case covers of wool serge, with cotton braid |
| Brief description | Upholstered chair, English, ca. 1730-1745, one of a set of six |
| Physical description | One of a set of six chairs. Frame of beech, veneered with walnut. At the top it has a central arch, rather small and with wide shoulders. Upholstered back and seat covered with needlework in coloured wool on linen canvas ground. The back and seat depict two different scenes. The back shows a pastoral scene: two figures in fanciful costume with a cauldron. The seat shows a scene from Aesop's Fables: a crane thrusting its bill down the throat of a wolf (from 'The Wolf and the Crane') |
| Dimensions |
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| Gallery label | British Galleries:
These covers were probably put onto the chairs in the late 19th century but they are of a type that was used for fashionable drawing rooms, parlours and bedrooms throughout the first half of the 18th century. The embroidery might be done by professional workshops or by amateurs. Such seats were always provided with protective case covers, like these modern reproductions, in a cheaper and hardwearing fabric. These were only removed on special occasions.(27/03/2003) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Lady Theobald. The conservation of the upholstery was generously funded by the Leche Foundation |
| Object history | Chairs made and covers embroidered in Britain |
| Summary | Object Type This chair is part of a set of six. It has an upholstered seat and back which are covered with embroidery in coloured wool on canvas ground, with a walnut frame. Its back and seat depict two different scenes. Materials & Making Needlework in wool on canvas was considered to be the most durable form of upholstered seat covering, and was sometimes made by the ladies of the house. Contemporary book illustrations were used as sources for the needlework patterns. Subjects Depicted The back shows a pastoral scene: two figures in fanciful costume with a cauldron. The seat shows a scene from Aesop's Fables: a crane thrusting its bill down the throat of a wolf (from 'The Wolf and the Crane').Further Information Investigation of the under upholstery has revealed that the present 18th-century needlework did not originally belong to the chair. It was applied in the late 19th- or early 20th century. The chair legs originally had rimmed feet. |
| Associated objects | |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.14-1938 |
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| Record created | March 27, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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