Chair of state
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1630 - 1660
Materials
Painted beech covered in green velvet
Measurements
112.0 x 79.0 x 70.0 cm
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Knole, Kent
NT 129419
Summary
A so-called chair of state, on a folding X-shaped frame, with a stuffed seat and elbows covered with late 17th century green velvet with silver thread fringe and embroidered bands on the back. The cushion has been converted into a covering for the seat and the original red velvet is visible underneath with impress of original braid, probably to match painting on frame. The green velvet appears to be overlaid on to gold coloured velvet. The beech X-frame itself is painted red with white floral arabesque pattern – a similar emulation of textiles can be found on an early X-frame chair preserved at Hardwick Hall (NT 1127424). Inside the frame of the Knole chair are iron brackets inserted at a later stage to make it rigid. Two matching footstools survive (NT 129412.1-2).
Provenance
Knole and the majority of its furniture were accepted by HM Treasury in part payment of death duties and transferred to the National Trust in 1946.