18TH CENTURY

This distinctive design of Windsor chair is attributed to the Cardiganshire area of Wales. These chairs were made in the 18th and 19th Centuries and are noted for their use of massive naturally shaped arms bows and seat which are connected by three flattened supports which tenon through the seat and are pegged in place (these pegs are now missing). Between these flattened splats are two hand-shaped spindles which again are tenoned through the seat, although there are marks on the seat and arms which suggest the presence of two earlier spindles, or perhaps blacksmith made metal supports. The arms on chairs of this type, as with many other Celtic Windsors, are generally set high. The arm bow on this example has probably been lowered a little. Three legs were invariably used in this design, in order that it would sit evenly on an uneven floor; the sculptural qualities of this chair are remarkable and show the clear use of the axe which shaped many of its parts. A number of chairs of this type can be seen in the collections of the National Museum of Wales at St. Fagans, Cardiff.