Essex County Chair

“Great” chairs were the largest chairs in a colonial home. They were reserved for the eldest person or head of the household. This fine example of a turned great chair is the oldest piece of joined furniture in the museums’ American collections. In “turned” furniture, wooden posts and rails (also called spindles) are shaped by a series of chisels and gouges while being turned on a lathe. Often composed from spindles of different woods, the chair would have thick varnishes and paints routinely applied to give it a unified appearance. Ongoing research reveals the chair’s adaptive re-use over 350 years of existence. The rush seat has been replaced at least twice; at one time, the seat was upholstered. In the 18th or the 19th century, the finials on the front posts were lost or removed and the leg posts were intruded upon to attach wooden wheels. This was a common practice to make the chair serve as a walking aid for elders or for young children.