- Sold Seating
- Gentleman's hooded Orkney chair
Gentleman's hooded Orkney chair
Gentleman's hooded Orkney chair
A classic oak hooded straw back Orkney chair, c 1973. This chair was commissioned and hand made in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. Japanese oak frame with carved detail to the arms, hooded straw back rest (oat grass sewn with bent grass), and a woven rush removable seat. The hooded seat versions of these chairs were designed to offer warmth, and are much harder to come by. This one is In excellent original condition with all paperwork from the original owner.
A true design classic, the Orkney chair with it’s distinctive straw back was one of the icons of the Arts and Crafts movement. Produced in the workshops of the Orkney Islands (Scotland), they were retailed by Liberty & Co and continue to be made today. This one dates to the 1970s.
These chairs were traditionally made in either gentlemen, ladies or children's size. This one is the traditional gentleman's size. Dimensions: H84cm, W54cm, D54cm
This chair came from a London family who spent their annual holidays in the Orkney Islands. They commissioned the chair from a Kirkwall maker, with instructions that they would collect it on their annual holiday to the Orkney Islands in 1973. The father has a special roof rack made for the car, to transport the chair. For the ferry crossing on their way back to the mainland, they discovered that the chair made the car too high for the ferry car deck, so instead (car and chair) had to be hoisted onto the passenger deck for the journey, and made the crossing back in style. It was a treasured part of the family's history, and has been beautifully looked after.
Price includes delivery to LU7 0JX
A classic oak hooded straw back Orkney chair, c 1973. This chair was commissioned and hand made in Kirkwall, Orkney Islands. Japanese oak frame with carved detail to the arms, hooded straw back rest (oat grass sewn with bent grass), and a woven rush removable seat. The hooded seat versions of these chairs were designed to offer warmth, and are much harder to come by. This one is In excellent original condition with all paperwork from the original owner.
A true design classic, the Orkney chair with it’s distinctive straw back was one of the icons of the Arts and Crafts movement. Produced in the workshops of the Orkney Islands (Scotland), they were retailed by Liberty & Co and continue to be made today. This one dates to the 1970s.
These chairs were traditionally made in either gentlemen, ladies or children's size. This one is the traditional gentleman's size. Dimensions: H84cm, W54cm, D54cm
This chair came from a London family who spent their annual holidays in the Orkney Islands. They commissioned the chair from a Kirkwall maker, with instructions that they would collect it on their annual holiday to the Orkney Islands in 1973. The father has a special roof rack made for the car, to transport the chair. For the ferry crossing on their way back to the mainland, they discovered that the chair made the car too high for the ferry car deck, so instead (car and chair) had to be hoisted onto the passenger deck for the journey, and made the crossing back in style. It was a treasured part of the family's history, and has been beautifully looked after.
Price includes delivery to LU7 0JX
Orkney straw chairs have been made on the Orkney Islands of Scotland for generations. In May 1890 a local Kirkwall joiner, David Kirkness, was invited to exhibit two of his traditional straw chairs as part of the Scottish Home Industries Association display at the Scottish International Exhibition in Edinburgh. The chairs generated widespread interest, particularly amongst followers of the Arts and Crafts movement. And so the traditional straw chair became the fashionable Orkney chair. They were very popular, and by 1909 Liberty of London were selling over 40 chairs a month. They are made in three sizes: a gentleman, ladies and children chair, and were offered as hooded or non-hooded versions. The tradition of Orkney chair making continues today, and they are highly collectible. The older, and hooded versions are the most sought after.