Armchair, 'Sleepy Hollow'; cane and wood; Dryad, Leicester, 1920

Armchair of woven cane.

Purchased by the V&A in 1990, from J.S. Reeve [90/224]. On entry to the Museum its condition was noted as 'sound'.

At the urging of Benjamin Fletcher, Head Master of Leicester School of Art, former bookseller Harry Peach established the Dryad firm as a manufacturer of cane furniture in 1907. The venture (which would also include metalwork and handicrafts) was infused with the ideals the Arts and Crafts movement (mainly through the writings of Fletcher's friend, W.R. Lethaby) and aimed to improve the level of design and manufacture of British cane furniture, with progressive German and Austrian designs as the paradigm. The German manufacturer of Richard Riemerschmid's designs, Reimann of Dresden, provided much inspiration. It was Fletcher, rather than Peach, who designed most of the early furniture.

Two versions of 'Sleepy Hollow' were sold, one made from natural cane (£5 10s 0d) and one made from Palembang (brown) cane (£3 15s 0d).
Key words: wicker, rattan

Dryad Ltd. was founded in Leicester in 1907 by Harry Peach. Their aim was to improve the level of design and manufacture of British cane furniture. This chair is a good, typical Dryad design of the type sold in large quantity - it is decisively modern, showing signs of German influence without being of a type that had little success in the British market. It was also purchased directly from Harry Peach by an Arts and Crafts metalworker named Reeve. The 'Sleepy Hollow' model was part of the range of contract furniture intended to remove Dryad from dependency upon the unpredictable domestic market and launch them into the more secure and profitable business of supplying cane furniture to airline and railway companies, restaurants, hotels and sports clubs.

W.13:1, 2-1990