Samuel Johnson Chair, c. 1730

We were asked to find a suitable leather to reupholster a c.1730 chair owned by the great 18th century English man of letters, Samuel Johnson (1709-1784).  

The Danish Brigatine, Metta Catherina was carrying a cargo that included tanned reindeer hides from St. Petersburg to Genoa when it sunk off the Cornish Coast in 1786.  She lay almost completely buried in a deep bed of silt off Mount Edgcumbe until she was discovered by divers in 1973.  A team of divers recorded and excavated the wreck over the next 32 years.  We were fortunate enough to find enough of this leather to handle the reupholstery.  

The chair as it appeared in a Christie's catalogue, 1928.  

Completed Samuel Johnson chair with c.1786 leather

Leather Tag

Reproduction of Gustav Stickley's leather furniture tag made for the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms.

Hand-Stitched Leather Coat Hook

Natural leather pads hand-stitched to a production coat hook.

Hand-Stitched Leather Clock Face

Hand-stitched roman numerals on dark brown English saddle leather.

GW

Hand-tooled leather portrait of George Washington.

Cedar-Lined Leather Box

Black English saddle leather box, with cedar lining.

Hand-Hammered Copper and Leather Candlesticks

Hand-hammered copper candlesticks, c. 1910 updated with hand-stitched English saddle leather base.