Made of wood with an ebonised finish, this armchair has a reclining cushioned back, cushioned seat and downswept arms with pads. It was designed for Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. by Philip Webb in about 1866. He altered the conventional reclining chair, retaining the bars in the seat but adding bobbin turning; the legs have similar decoration, with brass cappings and castors. A popular design, it was widely copied by British and American firms, including Liberty in London and Gustav Stickley’s workshops in New York. This example is possibly the ‘easy chair with adjustable back by Morris & Co. covered with a new Morris chintz £10.10.0 an addition Dec. 1930 bought from Morris & Co.' in Emery Walker's handwriting and listed in the 1929 inventory of Daneway, Walker’s country home at Sapperton, Gloucestershire, from 1922 to 1933. Originally covered in Utrecht cut velvet upholstery, the chair was recovered in Morris & Co.’s Rose linen by the Walkers. Philip Webb (1831–1915) was an English architect and designer, often called the 'father of the Arts & Crafts Movement'. The members of the movement were concerned about the effect of industrialisation on design and traditional craft and sought a new approach to the creation of decorative art. Webb designed furniture, glass, tapestries and stained glass for Morris, Marshall Faulkner & Co., of which he was one of the founding partners in 1861.

Record ID:00169
Dimensions:width — 60.5cm width of frame at front.
height — 98.8cm maximum height.
depth — 79cm maximum depth.
Classification:Furniture