PHILIP WEBB (1831-1915) FOR MORRIS & CO.
ADJUSTABLE-BACK ARMCHAIR, CIRCA 1870
Estimate: £3,000 - £5,000
Auction: Day One | Lots 1 to 252 | Wednesday 16th April from 10am
Description
mahogany, brass, upholstery in modern Morris & Co. 'Sunflower' pattern velvet, brass caps and casters
Dimensions
65cm wide, 101cm high, 83cm deep
Footnote
Literature: Parry L. William Morris, V&A 1996, p.178, J.29
In 1866, Warington Taylor described a chair design in a letter to Philip Webb after observing it in Ephraim Colman's workshop in Herstmonceux, Sussex. Webb modified the original reclining chair by incorporating bobbin turning and retaining seat bars. This traditional technique and ebonised finish were also used in other Morris & Co. furniture, such as a daybed from Kelmscott House's dining room, now at Kelmscott Manor. The chair, used in Kelmscott House's drawing room and by Burne-Jones, became popular and was available in mahogany. It was widely copied by British and American firms, including Liberty and Gustav Stickley's workshops. Originally supplied with Utrecht velvet covers priced at £10s. 10d., chintz covers were also offered at £8. Utrecht velvet, an embossed mohair plush recommended by Christopher Dresser in Principles of Decorative Design (1873) and likely supplied by Heaton and Co. of Manchester, was sold by Morris & Co. in various colours for upholstery and wall coverings.