Open armchair
Sir Herbert Baker (Cobham 1862 - Cobham 1946)
Category
Furniture
Date
1924
Materials
Stinkwood, hide
Measurements
116 x 58.4 x 51.5 cm
Order this imageCollection
Bateman's, East Sussex
NT 760893
Summary
A stinkwood (or other exotic hardwood) chair, 1924, designed by Sir Herbert Baker (1862-1946), architect, and possibly made by Joseph Armitage (1880-1945), carver, in 1924 to commemorate the marriage of Elsie Kipling (1896-1976), Rudyard Kipling's daughter, and Captain George Bambridge (1892-1943). The back of open-weave hide strips beneath an arched toprail and arched side rails. The shaped bottom rail carved KB (for Kipling and Bambridge), and the date 1924. The rear uprights topped by finials carved as the 'Zimbabwe bird' atop facetted blocks and baluster. The arms downswept and scroll-ended and either side of a hide-laced seat. Raised to the front on block- and baluster-turned legs joined by an 'H'-shaped stretcher, with chamfered side stretchers and turned central stretcher. The shaped front stretcher carved with a rose, an anchor and a flower.
Full description
A set of eight similar chairs (NT 1410951.1 - .8) are at Owletts, Kent, the home of their designer Sir Herbert Baker (1862-1946) the English architect who was influential in both South Africa and India, and a friend of Rudyard Kipling. He built a house called the Woolsack in Capetown for Cecil Rhodes (1853-1902) and Rudyard Kipling stayed there often with his family. The Zimbabwe bird finials on this chair refer to the symbol of Zimbabwe and Rhodesia. The set of chairs at Owletts are thought to have been carved by Joseph Armitage (1880-1945), an English architectural sculptor, wood carver and stone carver for whom Herbert Baker was an important patron. Incidentally, Armitage designed the National Trust oak leaf symbol for a competition, which he won.
Provenance
Listed in an inventory taken at Bateman's in 1939 as at Keylands, a cottage on the Bateman's estate built by the Kiplings for their friend, Perceval Landon (1869-1927). Bequeathed by Caroline Starr Balestier, Mrs Rudyard Kipling (1862-1939) with Bateman’s and its contents.
Marks and inscriptions
Lower back rail: KB 1924
Makers and roles
Sir Herbert Baker (Cobham 1862 - Cobham 1946), designer possibly Joseph Armitage (1880 - 1945), carver