32/1995-1
Collection
Furniture
Brief description
Ebonised turned beech armchair with a circular cane seat, designed by Edward William Godwin and probably made by William Watt in England between c.1867-1885.
Object name
chair
armchair
armchair
Object number
32/1995-1
Production person
Godwin, E. W. (designer)
Production organisation
William Watt (manufacturer)
Production date
c.1867-1885 (manufactured)
Production place
London (manufactured)
Period
Victorian (1837-1901)
Material
beech
cane
cane
Technique
joined
ebonised
caned
turned
carved
japanned
painted
tenoned
ebonised
caned
turned
carved
japanned
painted
tenoned
Physical description
Ebonised beech armchair with a circular cane seat, raised on turned and tapered legs with cross stretchers. The chair has a curved back with a combination of horizontal and vertical rails with turned posts and downswept arms on turned supports. The uprights terminate in square sections with pyramid finials, and geometric fretwork. The top of the chair legs have square sections, while the bottoms are turned and tapered. There are turned diagonal stretchers joining the chair legs together. The chair is monogrammed 'G' on the underside of the front seat rail.
The horizontal rails and the back are tenoned into the rear posts, and the vertical rails are housed into the horizontals. The arms are possibly tenoned into the tops of the posts and doweled onto the arm supports. The seat rails are mortice and tenoned all round into the tops of the legs, while the stretchers are doweled into the legs and half lapped at the crossing. The arm supports are possibly tenoned into the upper edge of the seat rails.
Virtually the whole of the exterior surface has been repainted or re-japanned although there are possible traces of the original surface under the rails and sides of the arms. There is also evidence of worm damage in the rails and back legs. There are breaks in the back to the top horizontal rail on the right hand side and the central strut of the chair has certainly been renewed. The caning which is quite sound and largely intact with the exception of a hole at the front left, is possibly original. There are a fair few bruises and abrasions to the base of the frame, particularly around the feet, and some wear to the feet.
The horizontal rails and the back are tenoned into the rear posts, and the vertical rails are housed into the horizontals. The arms are possibly tenoned into the tops of the posts and doweled onto the arm supports. The seat rails are mortice and tenoned all round into the tops of the legs, while the stretchers are doweled into the legs and half lapped at the crossing. The arm supports are possibly tenoned into the upper edge of the seat rails.
Virtually the whole of the exterior surface has been repainted or re-japanned although there are possible traces of the original surface under the rails and sides of the arms. There is also evidence of worm damage in the rails and back legs. There are breaks in the back to the top horizontal rail on the right hand side and the central strut of the chair has certainly been renewed. The caning which is quite sound and largely intact with the exception of a hole at the front left, is possibly original. There are a fair few bruises and abrasions to the base of the frame, particularly around the feet, and some wear to the feet.
Dimensions
Depth: 4.5cm
Diameter: 51.2cm
Height: 87cm
Diameter: 51.2cm
Height: 87cm
Website keywords
seating
Label
Label text, Geffrye Museum, date unknown:
Chair, ebonised beech with caned seat, 'Jacobean' design by E.W. Godwin, published in 1877.
Label text for 1890 Period Room (Room 7), Geffrye Museum, 2010:
Furniture
Much of the furniture produced in the artistic style was influenced by Japanese forms, with simple geometric shapes and straight horizontal and vertical lines, often with a black, or ebonised, finish. Here the side chairs are examples of this style. Another strong influence was the Arts and Crafts Movement, which looked back to styles and decorative forms popular in the seventeenth century and earlier.
Side chair, ebonised beech with caned seat, designed by EW Godwin,
design registered in 1877
Chair, ebonised beech with caned seat, 'Jacobean' design by E.W. Godwin, published in 1877.
Label text for 1890 Period Room (Room 7), Geffrye Museum, 2010:
Furniture
Much of the furniture produced in the artistic style was influenced by Japanese forms, with simple geometric shapes and straight horizontal and vertical lines, often with a black, or ebonised, finish. Here the side chairs are examples of this style. Another strong influence was the Arts and Crafts Movement, which looked back to styles and decorative forms popular in the seventeenth century and earlier.
Side chair, ebonised beech with caned seat, designed by EW Godwin,
design registered in 1877
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© Museum of the Home, London
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