1.27.2010

Ancestral Chair

If I could have just one chair (and what the hell, an ottoman too)...


Above, James II (1633-1701)'s Restoration-era baroque armchair and stool from Knole House in Kent, the ancestral home upon which Virginia Woolf based her novel Orlando.   (As an aside: has anyone seen the movie Orlando? Evidently one was made in '92 starring Tilda Swinton. I love Tilda Swinton. And ancestral homes, for that matter.)

"The [English baroque] style bespoke drama...Contrasts between light and dark, between rich textures and colors, were stressed. To render the inanimate lifelike, to astound, to overcome the limitations of materials themselves were primary concerns..." -Henry Joyce, in "Restoration Pieces: How English furniture went baroque," Art & Antiques, May 1984. 


Sounds about right.

7 comments:

gésbi said...

YES to the chair, yes to Orlando!
I love that the chair is cover from head to toe with fabric -and what fabric!

(IN)DECOROUS TASTE said...

Le style- I know, right?! The fabric is amazing. Actually, it could probably convincingly turn a concrete block into a sumptuous chair, it's that lovely. As for Orlando, I need to track down the film!

home before dark said...

Yes & Yes. The duet above, perfection. Orlando was amazing. Look forward to your next transformation. I always say: if you can't go over the top, WTF?

(IN)DECOROUS TASTE said...

Home before dark- MOST DELIGHTFUL MOTTO.

Emile de Bruijn said...

And imagine what it would have looked like when the fabric, fringing and gilding were still in their original condition...

P.Gaye Tapp at Little Augury said...

Orlando continues to provide clues to life-all of it. My niece and I watch it every couple of years since she was about 16-now 26, every time we imbue. love the book even more, but anything the woman did for that matter. (aside, have you read her Flush? a personal fav of mine.

Louis said...

I really love these kinds of chairs. They look unique in a good way. Thanks for that photo.

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