Tilting chair
(c. 1840)
Medium
Maple (Acer. sp.), cotton, (other materials)
Measurements
71.1 × 40.8 × 33.8 cm
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Gift of Peter and Eloise Smyrl, 2025
Gallery location
18th & 19th Century Decorative Arts & Paintings Gallery
Level 2, NGV International
About this work
A unique aspect of Shaker chair design was the occasional inclusion of ‘tilts’ in the rear two legs, the structure of which is akin to a ball-and-socket joint. The base of each back leg was hollowed out and a wooden ball with a flat base was inserted and secured with a leather strap. This mechanism allowed the sitter to tilt back in the chair with the rear feet remaining flat and therefore not damaging the base of the chair or the floor. The use of ‘tilts’ in Shaker chairs was introduced as early as 1819.
Artwork Details
Place/s of Execution
New Lebanon, New York, United States
Accession Number
2025.46
Department
International Decorative Arts