Stool

This is one of pair of stools invoiced to Edwin Lascelles on 9 June 1777: ‘2 large Circular Stools, the feet very neatly Japanned Green and white, stuffd and Covered with your own needlework and finished with Brass nails… £3 18 -'. It was common for patrons to be responsible for sourcing and supplying upholstery fabrics, whether they were imported European silk, contraband Indian chintz or, as in this case, home-made woollen needlework. The stools were belated additions to a set of eight ladder-back chairs supplied in June 1775 which had the same needlework covers. Only one stool survives and three chairs with the same covers are still at Harewood. In 1795 the whole suite was in the Great [Entrance] Hall, as well as eight painted hall chairs. It is thought that the needlework was executed by Lady Jane Fleming, Edwin Lascelles' second wife. By 18th century standards the work is relatively crude, with large gauge wool in an unusual ridged Gobelins stitch. It is, however, though to be original, although the webbing, stuffing and other fabrics have been replaced. £200 was donated by Florian Papp for conservation work. Chippendale's considerable repertoire even extended to supplying needlework patterns for customers to work. In May 1773 he wrote to Sir Edward Knatchbull that ‘We must send her Ladyship patterns for the needlework', but cautioned that if Lady Knatchbull wanted four large ‘Barjair' chairs, the covers would ‘be very large, consequently will take some time in working'.

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