Hybrid: Lockwood Chair

On his first visit to India in the early 1880s, prolific American interior and furniture designer Lockwood de Forest collaborated with philanthropist Mugganbhai Hutheesing to form the Ahmedabad Wood Carving Company (AWCC). Produced at the AWCC by local craftsmen, these chairs are emblematic of the Aesthetic Movement of the late-19th century, characterized by love for beauty, ornamentation and decoration rather than functionality.

This chair has a straight back and is upholstered with richly embroidered fabric. In terms of ornamentation, it combines Indian, North African and Far Eastern design motifs. Its back is delicately chiseled with a scroll-like pattern, and the crest is shaped in a club-like formation. The frieze overhanging the seat also has a carved floral pattern. The legs are of the cabriole style with an S-shaped structure.