Easy armchair
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co.
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1870
Materials
Cotton, ebonised wood, brass castors
Measurements
89 x 53 x 51 cm
Order this imageCollection
Standen House and Garden, West Sussex
NT 1214036
Summary
An ebonised reclining easy armchair, designed by Philip Webb for Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., circa 1870. Upholstered in William Morris 'Snakeshead' fabric, the slatted back with turned uprights and acorn finials, the curved armrests with ball-turned spindle galleries and in-curved front arm supports inset with sunken ball design, raised on seat rails and square legs with a similar design and joined by ball-turned stretchers, standing on brass castors. 'William Morris' V&A exhibition catalogue 1996, (ed.Linda Parry), plate J 29 illustrates an identical chair, though upholstered in Utrecht velvet. Similarly, 'Arts and Crafts Furniture' by John Andrews, 2005, plate 40 illustrates the mahogany version, also in Utrecht velvet. These chairs were originally supplied with Utrecht velvet, which Morris stocked, at £10-10s, although chintz covers were also available at £8. This chair was widely copied, especially in America by Gustav Stickley and by Liberty's in London, but it is still widely known as a 'Morris' chair.
Full description
Morris & Co. Founded in 1861 as Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., the firm was soon referred to as Morris & Co., although the name was not officially adopted until 1875 when William Morris (1834-1896) became sole proprietor. Responsibility for the design of almost all commissioned furniture passed to Philip Webb, whose influence was enormous, and (from 1880) his assistant George Jack, while Morris produced designs for glass, tapestries and any painted furniture. From 1871 wallpapers, designed by Morris, became an important part of the business. Show rooms in Oxford Street were acquired in 1877. Greater commercial success in the 1880s led to the opening of a shop in Manchester in 1883. Some of the well-known interior schemes undertaken by Morris include Rounton Grange in Yorkshire, Old Swan House in Chelsea, Great Tangley Manor in Surrey, Wightwick Manor, Bullers Wood and Standen.
Makers and roles
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. , maker William Morris (Walthamstow 1834 - Hammersmith 1896), textile designer
References
Parry, Linda (ed) 'William Morris', V&A Exhibition catalogue 1996, Fig. J 29 Andrews, John - Arts and Crafts Furniture, ACC 2005, Plate 40