Chair, c.1900

Sycamore, inlaid with holly, brass and pewter; now with 20th-century woven wool

This chair was designed by George Montague Ellwood and made by J.S. Henry Ltd., London. The back seat rail bears an ivorine plaque that reads, ‘J.S. HENRY, LONDON E.C.’. It is one of a pair.

Adam Bowett Catalogue 14/08/2012

Description

A chair, c.1900, of small, attenuated proportions. The narrow back tapers to a disc-shaped crest rail and elongated splat, somewhat in the shape of a Celtic cross, strengthened halfway up with a pair of cross braces The disc is inlaid with white metal, brass and coloured woods. The markedly trapezoid seat is upholstered with green fabric trimmed with round headed nails, and raised on square tapering legs with block front feet, joined to the rear legs by an H stretcher, with an additional stretcher placed vertically, at right angles to the first.

Dimensions

H: 40” (102cm) Seat height: 16 ½ ” (42cm) W: 15 ” (38cm) D: 15“ (38cm)

Designer/Maker

Designed by George Montagu Elwood for J.S. Henry, London.

Materials

Sycamore or maple, holly, brass, pewter

Construction

The chair is very lightly built. The back posts are solid, and probably tenoned into the disc. The two horizontal braces in the back are probably tenoned into the back posts and the vertical splat is tenoned into the lower cross rail, half-lapped through the upper cross rail and tenoned into the base of the disc. The forward face of the disc and the vertical strut extending to it are veneered with sycamore(?) and inlayed. The back seat rail is tenoned into the back posts, as are the side rails, and the back rail (because thicker than the posts and side rails) is haunched at the point where it meets the side rails. A similar arrangement is used at the front, where the front rail is tenoned into the tops of the front legs. There are shaped screwed blocks in all four corners. The side stretchers are tenoned fore and aft into the legs, and the secondary vertical stretcher is tenoned at all points into its corresponding locations. The upholstery is webbed across the top of the seat rail with the stuffing and top cover on top.

Marks or stamps

Bears a small ivorine plaque for J.S. HENRY Ltd. , LONDON, E.C.

Condition

Structure is sound. There is a small repair to the top of the left back post with a wooden pin in situ. The colour of the wood has undoubtedly darkened and the sycamore (harewood) veneers in the back have changed colour. Upholstery and webbing not original.

Additional remarks

This chair was designed by George Montague Ellwood (1875-1955) and manufactured by J.S. Henry, Old Street, London.

Provenance

Bought from Paul Reeves