European Armchairs

Frank Brangwyn. An important armchair. Brangwyn's last interior designs were for the Canadian Pacific Liner; 'The SS Empress of Britain', which was launched in 1931 by the Prince of Wales, later to be King Edward VIII who renounced his throne to marry Wallis Simpson in 1930. These armchairs were designed for the 1st class dining room; 'The Salle Jacque Cartier' (see last image) and they were made by H.H. Martyn and Co. Cheltenham. The 1st class dining room was described in the Bulletin of The Decorative Arts Society 1890-1940 as 'In the fully fledge modern restaurant and cinema style of the 1930s'. The Studio in a long article on the liner, discusses and illustrates Brangwyn's Salle Jacques Cartier: 'So architectural it is, so true proportion, so devoid of Extraneous ornament. In contrast to this austerity of line, hue and colour, his great wall paintings are rich in colour; composed in the bold, yet intricate pattern of figure, fruit and flowers that characterizes Mr Brangwyn's decorative works'. Tragically the liner was sunk in 1940 by a U-boat. Brangwyn also designed marquetry panels for the private dining rooms and they were executed by the Rowley Gallery, he also designed a frieze carved in wood for their gallery façade in 1936. The armchair has a central under bar below the seat which still has the original bolt and eye to secure the chain to and then to the floor, that would prevent all the chairs from sliding around in stormy weather. It is lacking ivorene numbered disc which would have sat in the very top of the head rail. In October 1940 the most famous of the Canadian Pacific Railway liners and flagship of the company's Atlantic Fleet, the Empress of Britain, was attacked and sunk. She was travelling to Glasgow from Suez via South Africa, where she was bombed near the north-west coast of Ireland by a German Focke Wulf Condor plane. When the Condor attacked the Empress of Britain the ship's crew couldn't shoot the plane down and soon the Empress was burning out of control and the Captain C.H. Sapsworth gave the order to abandon ship. 45 people died and the remaining survivors including women and children, were later rescued that day by the British destroyer HMS Echo and the Polish destroyer Burza and 3 British naval trawlers Paynter, Cape Agona and Drangey. The Empress still burning managed to stay afloat and the day after 2 Royal Navy tugs, Marauder and Thames tried to tow her into port with many escort ships around her but in spite of the protection she was given from the escort ships on October 28th, a German U-boat, U-32, managed to get by the escorts un-noticed and torpedoed the crippled Empress. She sank within ten minutes. The Empress of Britain was the largest Allied passenger liner to be sunk and weighing 42,348-tons she was the biggest merchant ship loss of the war. King George VI and Queen Elizabeth had travelled aboard Empress of Britain after their 1939 Royal Tour...

Organic Arts & Crafts period vintage freestanding wicker rattan armchair or lounge chair designed and manufactured by Dryad & Co attributed, circa 1910, U.K. This beautiful solo wick...

W R Lethaby. A Rare Arts & Crafts Sculptured oak armchair with shaped arms, shaped head rest and lower stretchers united by large plank uprights. Lethaby was one of the most influent...

William Birch. An Arts & Crafts oak armchair in the style of George Walton. This chair has been totally restored and had new rush professionally laid to the seat.

Designed by George Montague Ellwood and made by J S Henry, with marquetry and brass details.

MH Baillie Scott rare Arts & Crafts oak armchair Made by John P. White's Pyghtle works. A robust craftsman’s armchair with three wide ladders to the back a...

Arts & Crafts in the style of Thonet Elegant and original 1900 armchair by English or Osterreich designer Original good condition Many sculptural wood waves effects Measu...

E A Taylor attributed. A good Arts & Crafts oak tub chair with a single pierced teardrop cut-out to the back support and shaped supports beneath the arms...

Pair of mahogany armchairs Arts & Crafts, circa 1900 to be restored.

Pair of English Gothic Arts & Crafts walnut armchairs with brown leather upholstered seat and back having dark brass nailhead trim, (circa 1880s).

Rare architectural Arts & Crafts chair, designed circa 1949 by Albert Haberer and manufactured by Hermann Fleiner in Stuttgart, Germany. The flexible backrest is made of thin spindle...

E A Taylor attributed. An Arts and Crafts oak tub chair with a single pierced heart to the back support and shaped supports below the arms, the shaped ba...

We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely hand made in England walnut frame bow back armchair with mother of pearl inlay in the arts of crafts style A good looking and decora...

Pair of oak and rush armchairs. Attributed to George Henry Walton. Scotland, circa 1890. Glasgow school period.

Henry Van De Velde, in the style of, An impressive Arts & Crafts oak armchair finely made with the original leather. Measurements: Height at b...

A pair of Arts and Crafts oak armchairs in the style of Liberty & Co, with heart cut-outs, and sledge style feet.

E G Punnet Attri, for William Birch Set of Four Glasgow School Oak & Rush Chairs and probably made by William Birch retailed by Liberty and Co, consisting of two armchairs two single...

Mackay Hugh Baillie Scott (1865-1945). A pair of stained beech and inlaid armchairs: The tapering backs forming the main structure of these time less armchairs with foliate and ribbo...

Sir Frank Brangwyn (attributed,) a pair of mahogany armchairs, in the Chinese style with professionally re-upholstered leather padded back and drop-in seat. These chairs share stylistic qualities with the famous armchairs he designed for the Salle Jacques Cartier aboard the SS Empress of Britain...

Good English Arts and Crafts period armchair, the shaped crest over slatted back, the arms similarly slatted, standing on square legs on original brass and ceramic castors, the uphol...

Charles Robert Ashbee (attributed) for the Guild of Handicraft. An oak ladder back armchair with a professionally re-rushed seat. Seat Height: 43 cm Arm Height: 68 cm

English (possibly Scottish) Arts & Crafts rustic design dark stained oak arm chair with nautical paddle form arms and legs with a woven rope seat and back.

Waring and Gillows. Ten Arts and Crafts oak tub chairs with shaped solid seats and striking semi-circular stretchers. Two armchairs have been dismantled...

Attributed to GM Ellwood, for JS Henry. An Arts and Crafts oak wing back armchair with wonderful life size acorn and oak leaf carved roundels to the front ...

J S Henry. An Arts & Crafts walnut armchair with elongated back and little ears to the top, sweeping arms and an unusual array of stretchers with period Arts...

William Birch. An Arts and Crafts oak artist's sketching armchair with a shaped top for sketching or writing on. The shaped top supported on the upper ...

A super quality Arts and Crafts oak armchair in style of E W Pugin with a subtle architectural Gothic Revival organic styling and exposed peg construction re...

Morris and Co, a pair of mahogany ‘Saville’ armchairs designed by George Washington Jack, with carved details to the arms and wavy spindles below and ...

George Walton. A rare Arts & Crafts Glasgow School oak 'Abingdon' armchair. This design is quite radical, with large flat arms which protrude out incorporating the back legs and up...

English Aesthetic Movement (Arts & Crafts) large dark oak stained arm chair with a triangular shape and geometric spindle and finial design on back and stretcher.

Pair of English Arts & Crafts (Aesthetic Movement) mahogany Armchairs with finials on back and an "H" form stretcher with upholstered seat and back having nail heads

Set of 4 of English Arts & Crafts blond wood arm chairs with woven green strap seat and back. (PRICED AS SET)

Pair of mahogany Arts & Crafts armchairs with wide seats and elegant proportions. Ivorine labels attached beneath: 'S.J.WARING & SONS, By appointment to the Queen, 175-181 Oxford Str...

Pair of armchairs by Adrien Audoux & Frida Minet, in beech wood and rope. French, circa 1950. The rounded shapes will give many styles to your interior. Each armchair is unique and a...

Pair of rustic Danish armchairs in stained and naturally patinated oak having leather seats.

Armchair Beech frame Rush seat Black bobbin detail Netherlands 1930s.

Arts & Crafts ‘Sussex’ chair. Made using ebonised ash and beech woods. with new traditionally rushed seat. This chair was named ’The Madox’ after Ford Madox Brown...