Lot 105
A FINE ANGLO-INDIAN EBONY PLANTER'S CHAIR
CEYLON, GALLE DISTRICT, 19TH CENTURY
Auction: 10 June 2026 from 14:00 BST
Description
standing on two claw feet to the rear and two hoof feet to the fore with a swirling vegetal design down the front legs, the chair has two long fixed armrests, the armrests, the skirt and top of the chair are finely carved with continuous floral designs, caned seat
Dimensions
93.5cm x 154cm x 67cm
Provenance
Private collection, London.
Footnote
In India’s intense heat, people often ended the day by propping their feet on whatever was available, footstools, morhas, even tables. By the mid‑nineteenth century this habit inspired the creation of the planter’s chair, a low, reclining seat with extended arms designed to support the legs. Its exact origins are unclear, but by the end of the century it's success had seen it become permanent a fixture of Anglo‑Indian homes, prominently placed on verandas and widely recognised as a symbol of colonial comfort.