Charles I Joined Oak Armchair

This boldly proportioned West Country armchair is a particularly fine survival of mid-17th-century vernacular craftsmanship. Constructed in oak and joined throughout, it retains an excellent colour and surface, untouched by later refinishing.
The high back panel is carved with an impressive large-scale quatrefoil enclosing foliate sprays, a motif associated with West Country workshops of the 1640s, combining both lingering Gothic forms and the more vigorous naturalism of the Stuart period. The frame is further enriched with moulded seat rails, while the plain lower stretchers are joined to robust column-turned legs, emphasising strength and durability. The arms are substantial and practical, with shaped rests rising from integral uprights. The seat is of a single oak board, a rare feature that underlines the quality of the timber used.
This type of armchair was traditionally a seat of status, placed in the hall or parlour and reserved for the master of the household. Its powerful design and confident carving reflect the aspirations of an increasingly prosperous gentry in the West Country during the reign of Charles I.