49/1993
Collection
Furniture
Brief description
Ebonised beech chair with leather upholstery, designed by Edward William Godwin and made by William Watt in England, c. 1876.
Object name
chair
library chair
library chair
Object number
49/1993
Production person
Godwin, E. W. (designer)
Production organisation
William Watt (manufacturer)
Production date
1869 (designed)
c.1876 (manufactured)
c.1876 (manufactured)
Production place
London (manufactured)
Period
Victorian (1837-1901)
Material
beech
leather
textile
metal
leather
textile
metal
Technique
joined
ebonised
turned
upholstered
ebonised
turned
upholstered
Physical description
Ebonised beech library chair, with an overstuffed leather upholstered seat and a padded leather panel in a rectangular frame between turned posts. The frame has square sectioned legs and back posts with sections turned with incised lines, and turned rails between the legs and back posts. The seat has a nailed gimp on plain rails, with ring turned legs and stretchers.
The top rail is dowelled into the rear posts, the two horizontal rails either dowelled or tenoned, and the uprights dowelled or tenoned into the horizontals. The seat rail is possibly tenoned all round, and the stretchers are dowelled into the legs. The finish of the chair appears to be largely original. There is wear on the corners, top rail, front stretcher and the bottoms of the legs, otherwise the chair is in good condition. There is evidence of worm damage in the back seat particularly, and some worm in the back legs. The upholstery is possibly original.
The top rail is dowelled into the rear posts, the two horizontal rails either dowelled or tenoned, and the uprights dowelled or tenoned into the horizontals. The seat rail is possibly tenoned all round, and the stretchers are dowelled into the legs. The finish of the chair appears to be largely original. There is wear on the corners, top rail, front stretcher and the bottoms of the legs, otherwise the chair is in good condition. There is evidence of worm damage in the back seat particularly, and some worm in the back legs. The upholstery is possibly original.
Dimensions
Depth: 46.9cm
Height: 107cm
Width: 46cm
Height: 107cm
Width: 46cm
Website keywords
seating
Label
Label text, Geffrye Museum, date unknown:
Library chair, ebonised beech with leather seat and back panel, the original design for Dromore Castle, near Limerick by E.W. Godwin, 1869, manufactured by William Watt, c1876.
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 leather upholstery, designed by EW Godwin in 1869,
manufactured by William Watt, c1876
Library chair, ebonised beech with leather seat and back panel, the original design for Dromore Castle, near Limerick by E.W. Godwin, 1869, manufactured by William Watt, c1876.
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 leather upholstery, designed by EW Godwin in 1869,
manufactured by William Watt, c1876
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© Museum of the Home, London
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