19th Century Irish Hedge Armchair

For sale is a beautifully decorative Irish hedge armchair in an unusual and distinctive design from the mid 19th Century, circa 1860. - The armchair has a distinctive design with elegant swept and curved arms and an angled panel plank seat in a throne like manner. The country hedge armchair design has elements that are reminiscent of other Irish/Scottish chair design features/types. - The chair has curved encompassing arms and triangular-esque seat like Sligo chairs, and also the triple stretcher and seat rail design are similar to a rare Irish Súgán (straw/rope) armchair from County Kerry*. The chair is Elm and Ash in construction.    - The seat may have been replaced with hard panels at some stage in its life and could even have been Súgán originally similar to the one shown from County Kerry* . - The chair also reminds us in its throne like upright nature of the grand Scottish chairs which came to be called 'caqueteuse' chairs, from the French word for a gossip which looks appropriate for this decorative armchair too in a fireside location. - The front and rear legs are square and the back uprights supporting a cross-slatted back with two slats and a top rail pegged into place with wooden dowel. - The back is slightly angled back for comfort. The chair has had some historic woodworm but is in good antique condition for 150+ years of age. - All of the stretchers and seat rails indicate spoke-shaved construction and all of these cylindrical stretchers and seat rails pierce right through the uprights (as highlighted in the images) and are wedged visibly in an attractive manner. - If this has been a Súgán armchair, they were thought to be comparatively rare due to the cost of additional timber in the context of Irish vernacular furniture. A simple, but beautiful country-made vernacular Irish hedge chair from the mid-19th Century, ready for a new home to provide decorative utility for the next 100+ years. Reference: *Kinmonth, C. (2020) Irish Country Furniture and furnishings 1700-2000. Cork University Press. pg101. **The last image showing the Irish hedge chair alongside a Scottish creepie stool is not included in this listing. Contact W&W Antiques for combined shipping for multiple antique items.