Bürgermeister's chair
Category
Furniture
Date
circa 1750
Materials
Padouk, oak seat (later)
Measurements
84 x 76 cm
Place of origin
Dutch East Indies
Order this imageCollection
Knightshayes Court, Devon
NT 540668
Summary
A padouk 'burgomaster' chair, Dutch Colonial, circa 1750. Crisply carved overall, the semicircular tapered back with three pierced and foliate-carved oval medallions flanked by baluster turnings which all unite the toprail and under-rail, the front uprights with upper scroll detail, the circular seat (originally caned) with rocaille-carved aprons and six boldly-carved cabriole legs with lion's paw feet and joined by two sets of stretchers, carved horizontal peripheral stretchers at the mid-way point of the leg and lower baluster stretchers radiating from a central point to the ankles of each leg, the seat with a needlework cushion.
Full description
'Burgomaster' (or Dutch Burgermeister) chairs are characteristic of the period in Sri Lanka that was dominated by the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie or simply 'VOC'). These chairs were also made in Indonesia and India, being used in offices and homes from the early 18th century. Just as in this example, these chairs characteristically have the rounded back with oval medallions, a caned circular seat and six legs supported by stretchers. The carved detail may vary. Examples can also be found in ebony, engraved ivory and satinwood. In inventories from the Dutch East Indies and British India chairs of this design are simply called 'round chairs'.