Object of the Month: July 2026
Share
Selly Manor Museum is brought to life by its collection of 16th and 17th century furniture and domestic objects, assembled at the beginning of the 20th century by Laurence Cadbury.
Most of the wooden objects in the Laurence Cadbury collection follow a particular theme, in particular, that they are habitually made from oak and often follow Welsh and English styles. The object for this month is quite the outlier.
This is a Spanish armchair from the 18th century, surprisingly large, and assessed to be somewhere within the year range of 1725-1800. The wood is a rich, warmly toned walnut with an elaborate and handsomely carved front stretcher of an interlacing pattern. This would have been achieved using a method called gouge carving, using a tool called a gouge to carve into the face and create a relief. The finials, the two notches at the top of the chair, are ribbed – a common feature of this style, which is called a Friar’s armchair (sillón frailero).
The friar’s armchair is so named due to its original presence in convents, and is stylistically of Italian influence. However, they have long been renowned as a truly iconic piece of Spanish furniture from specifically the 16th-18th centuries, although they experienced a later renaissance through the 19th century. This style of chair was popular not just in Spain, but throughout its many South American colonies also. Arguably, the most important identifying feature of this chair is the thick, black cowhide leather which forms the seat and the patterned backrest; it is nailed into place with large brass fastenings. Leather covers on chairs are understandably frequent throughout the early modern period, as when matured, they could reportedly be as tough as the wood of the frame itself. It’s slightly difficult to make out the patterning on the backrest, but it is clear to see there are four identical quadrants embossed into the fabric.
Like the majority of Cadbury’s acquisitions, it was from antiques dealer Oliver Baker based in Stratford-upon-Avon for the cost of £10. It is unsure from the object files of the year of this purchase, although there is another Spanish armchair purchased for the same price, which could indicate that perhaps they were purchased at or around the same time.
Written by Tristram Flood, Volunteer
Edited by Louise Deakin, Heritage Engagement Officer