These chairs were originally purchased by my client’s grandparents during their extensive travels. They are believed to have been made in
The jute rope seats on these two chairs had been damaged by cats that had used them as a scratching platform. The rope itself had passed its serviceability state as It was weak and broke easily. The rear joints and iron supports were loose and required re-setting. Some of the finer carved features had been chipped and needed repairing. One brass end cap on the front seat was missing.
The clients asked for the seats to be re-woven and after presenting material options decided on replacing the jute with seagrass. Not being a professional weaver, I didn’t feel comfortable attempting to replicate the original patterns and despite a search I was unable to find a chair weaver who was, so we settled on a conventional woven pattern.
After removing the damaged seats, structural repairs were made and the carvings mended. A century or so of accumulated grime was cleaned off, followed by a single coat of shellac to seal the frame and make it easier to keep clean in the future.
The final phase was to weave the chairs.
Materials:
Mild detergent for cleaning
Shellac for sealing
4/4.5 mm Seagrass for the seat
Before
After
