Lot Essay
Straw backed chairs from Orkney are one of the most distinctive forms of British regional chair. The native black oats produce the straw used in the manufacture of many kinds of domestic items. There was a major producer of these chairs, David Munro Kirkness (1855-1936). He produced some 14,000 chairs in his working life. Many examples from his workshop found favour in London and other metropolitan centres, and were shown in housing exhibitions promoted by major stores