Antique Victorian Sussex Dining Chairs, 1870, Set of 8

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Suite of eight original William Morris, Philip Webb, Rush seat Sussex chairs circa 1870-1880 as seen in the Victorian and … Read more Suite of eight original William Morris, Philip Webb, Rush seat Sussex chairs circa 1870-1880 as seen in the Victorian and Albert museum. This chair was named after a country chair found in Sussex, which inspired the design with the turned frame and rush seat. Similar types of chairs, with imitation bamboo frames and rush seats, were fashionable between 1790 and 1820. Ownership & Use William Morris and his wife, Jane, used Sussex chairs in their first home, Red House, Bexleyheath, Kent, from 1860 and subsequently in their London house, Kelmscott House, Hammersmith. Morris's great friend, the artist Edward Burne-Jones (1833-1898) had Sussex armchairs in his studio, as did the sculptor, Alfred Gilbert (1854-1934). Robert Edis recommended this chair as 'excellent, comfortable and artistic' in his influential book, 'Decoration and Furnishing of Town Houses in 1881'. Examples from the Sussex range were supplied for students' rooms at Newnham College, Cambridge, and for galleries in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge. Trading The Sussex range of modest seat furniture, which started with this armchair and a single chair, expanded as a result of the commercial success of the design. Eventually it included corner chairs, children's chairs, and settles. A whole page was devoted to the Sussex range in the firm's catalogue, about 1912, where the armchair was priced at 9s 9d (49p). Other firms, particularly Liberty & Co. and Heals, produced their own versions of this popular design. This suite are very fine totally original examples with no amendments, these chairs are the stuff dreams are made of for collectors, they each have variations, some small differences to the turnings and so on, I have pictured them in as much detail as possible The chairs have been cleaned waxed and polished from top to bottom and the frames checked and glued and clamped if required, there will be lots of age and use related patina which is all part of the charm Dimensions vary across the range, here are the main measurements Pair of carver armchairs Height:- 86cm Width:- 54cm Depth:- 49cm Seat height:- 48cm 5 standard chairs Height:- 83.5cm Width:- 42cm Depth:- 37cm Seat height:- 45cm 1 standard chair Height:- 87cm Width:- 42cm Depth:- 43cm Seat height:- 45cm This piece is attributed to the mentioned designer/maker. It has no attribution mark and no
official proof of authenticity,
however it is well documented in design history. I take full responsibility for any authenticity



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