Indo-Dutch: Carved Ornamental Chair

Indo-Dutch furniture was marked by skilled carpentry and craftsmanship. Although this style of furniture appeared simple, it consisted of intricate carvings indicative of trained artistic hands. Some of the carvings were evocative of the decorative Batavian style from Java, Indonesia, the then administrative seat of the Dutch in the East.

This chair, with its slightly angled back, was probably made from dark ebony. It is elaborately carved with ornate, yet elegant, motifs of flowers, birds, deities and stylised foliage on the backrest and along the periphery of the seat. Images of deities appear on either end of the top-rail, as well as in the centre of the seat. Ornate scrollwork with floral designs adorn the frontal S-shaped portion of the legs.