Hand-Finished English Oak Armchair, c.1910, with Custom Leather Seat and Silver Tack Trim
Viridian Eclection
The Piece
An early twentieth century carved English oak armchair, revived through restoration and completed in the Viridian workshop with a bespoke leather seat.
The back carries an intricately shaped and pierced central splat with a turned medallion motif, flanked by curved stiles. The arched crest rail is worked with radiating sunburst carvings, an idiom that sits between Arts and Crafts geometry and folk carving. Curved side arms sweep simply into the frame, and turned legs are joined by box stretchers.
The frame has been hand sanded, oiled and stained to a warm saddle brown that deepens the grain while keeping its antique glow. The circular seat, originally caned or woven, has been reupholstered in full grain embossed leather in slate blue gray with floral tooling, pinned with polished nickel tacks set through the original cane holes.
History & Provenance
The chair was made in England circa 1900 to 1920, with the listing dating it to about 1910. It reflects the English domestic design ethos of the period, practical, well proportioned and hand carved from native hardwood.
It was built for a woven or pressed cane seat and would have served in an informal dining room or parlor rather than a formal one.
No maker's mark is recorded, so the attribution rests on idiom and construction: the solid English oak, the traditional joinery with pinned stretchers, and the carved vocabulary of the crest rail and splat.
The restoration was carried out in a California workshop in 2025. The original finish was removed and reworked by hand, the seat weaving was taken out and replaced with a custom leather cushion assembly built with new fill and a natural leather top layer, the cushion was edged with decorative tacks driven through the existing cane holes, and the wood was treated with layered stain and wax. The tackwork and tooled floral leather bring a Western vernacular to an Edwardian frame, and each alteration was made to the original frame rather than in place of it.
Product Details
| Era | c. 1900 to 1920, restored 2025 |
| Origin | England, restored in a California workshop |
| Form | Carved oak armchair with pierced central splat and turned medallion, arched crest rail with sunburst carving, curved arms, turned legs and box stretchers |
| Materials | Solid English oak, full grain embossed leather in slate blue gray with floral tooling, polished nickel tacks applied by hand |
| Finish | Hand sanded, oiled, stained to a warm saddle brown and waxed |
| Style | Edwardian and Arts and Crafts, with Western Americana detailing |
| Maker | Unmarked. Attribution rests on idiom and construction |
| Condition | Excellent restored condition. Oak frame refinished and structurally sound, joints tight, no visible repairs or losses, even color with a soft hand rubbed patina. Leather seat newly upholstered and hand pinned. Ready for use or for display |
| Dimensions | To be confirmed |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
The chair is an object rooted in English tradition and reworked through American craft. The carved oak reads as noble and restrained, while the tooled leather seat adds contrast and depth, so the two halves of its history stay legible at the same time.
Its weight and patina anchor a room, and the hand finished surface invites touch. It suits a living room, an office or a hallway, and it works beside a desk, a hearth, or in a curated corner where a single piece has to carry the corner on its own.
For a dealer or designer it answers a familiar problem: a period chair with genuine carving that is not precious about being sat in, and that brings texture and narrative to a scheme mixing refinement with rusticity.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
