James I Inlaid Armchair

A James I oak and walnut inlaid armchair, the tall back panel richly inlaid with holly and bog oak, depicting a standing soldier grasping a halberd, set within an arcade of architectural form strongly reminiscent of the façades of Nonsuch Palace. Above, a boldly carved and inlaid male mask wearing a crown presides over the composition, a motif that may symbolically allude to King James I himself or to divine kingship more generally. The arcade is flanked by scrolling foliage and stylised floral ornament, executed with a mastery of proportion and line.
The uprights and cresting rail are carved with interlaced lunettes and scrolling designs, while the seat rails display further foliate motifs, the whole supported on baluster-turned legs united by plain stretchers. The seat is original, an exceptionally rare survival, though it was carefully cleaned and re-polished in past centuries.