1/2000
Collection
Furniture
Brief description
Two-seater Chesterfield sofa with painted pine legs, upholstered in floral cotton brocatelle, manufactured in England c.1910-1925.
Object name
sofa
Object number
1/2000
Production date
c.1910-1925 (manufactured)
Production place
England (manufactured)
Period
Edwardian (1901-1910)
Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Twentieth century (1900-1999)
Material
brocatelle
beech
horsehair
beech
horsehair
Technique
upholstered
turned
stained
turned
stained
Physical description
Two-seater chesterfield sofa, upholstered in floral fabric. The fixed covers, probably of cotton and thought to be original, feature a repeated motif of two birds on either side of a tall flowering plant on what seems to be an island. The left bird is standing upright, lifting one foot as though courting. The bird on the right is crouching down. The birds are surrounded by a dense pattern of stylised flowers, which are less finely woven than the birds. The design is similar to late 17th and early 18th century chintz and crewel work patterns. It is woven in light browns, mustard yellow, petrol blue and green on a black ground. The colours have faded to greys and browns on the top of the back and arms. Braid, composed of intertwining cords of faun, red and blue/black, and grey and blue/black, runs down the intersection of the left arm and the back. Two further strips of braid run parallel along the front of the seat.
The sofa has a drop arm with a hidden ratchet system which is functioning but fragile because of the delicate state of the wooden frame. The upholstery (also thought to be original) is composed of horsehair padding contained under a hessian cover with further padding of kapok wadding directly under the top covers. The legs are made of beech stained brown, mounted on casters. When the sofa was acquired it had later, large castors, which have been replaced by more appropriate ones (see conservation report). The front legs are in the form of flat, disc-shaped pads, the back legs are short and straight. The sofa is very worn and faded on the front edge and top of the arms. The edges of the covers underneath the sofa are frayed. The original webbing supporting the structure of the sofa has been strengthened with new webbing.
The sofa has a drop arm with a hidden ratchet system which is functioning but fragile because of the delicate state of the wooden frame. The upholstery (also thought to be original) is composed of horsehair padding contained under a hessian cover with further padding of kapok wadding directly under the top covers. The legs are made of beech stained brown, mounted on casters. When the sofa was acquired it had later, large castors, which have been replaced by more appropriate ones (see conservation report). The front legs are in the form of flat, disc-shaped pads, the back legs are short and straight. The sofa is very worn and faded on the front edge and top of the arms. The edges of the covers underneath the sofa are frayed. The original webbing supporting the structure of the sofa has been strengthened with new webbing.
Dimensions
Depth: 89cm
Height: 71cm
Width: 163cm
Height: 71cm
Width: 163cm
Website keywords
seating
-
© Museum of the Home, London
-
-
-
-
© Museum of the Home, London
