Patinations

Christopher Dresser Chairs

Christopher Dresser Parlour Chairs, Ebonised and Gilded over Elm, Sycamore and Pine, 1877.

These important Christopher Dresser chairs were designed before 1870, and commissioned by John Stephen Perry of ‘Linton’ in Sydney in 1877. To date these are the only known examples of this particular design.

The condition of these chairs was very poor, with some of the applied carving missing and one rear leg severely damaged by insects. Most of the original ebonised finish had been worn and weathered away but evidence was found of the original gilt detail in the deeply incised carvings. Although structurally the chairs were reasonably sound, the remnants of the original finish could not be saved due to their poor condition. The chairs were re-ebonised using traditional methods of building over the original surface. The carved detail was then gilded.

Illustrated Christopher Dresser, The People’s Designer, 1834-1904, Harry Lyons 2005, p 137.