Anglo-Japanese Ebonized Chaise Longue Attributed to E W Godwin

Edward William Godwin (attributed), an Anglo-Japanese ebonized chaise longue with later part gilt tooled leather upholstery, turned supports and spindles, with casters.

A design for a chaise longue is illustrated in William Watt's Art Furniture Catalogue (1877, plate 3), priced at ú3.10s.0d. The overall form is remarkably similar in many ways, the angular form to one end and in particular the carved rosette to the chaise head rest and the turned bulbous detail to the right-hand end of the back rest. The square section and turned spindle details are also used by Godwin on many other pieces, particularly on the Florence cabinet. See Soros, Susan Weber 'The Secular Furniture of E. W. Godwin', p. 185, illus. 306; a nursery buffet, p. 194 illus. 314; an ebonised armchair made by James Peddle, p. 132, illus. 179; a drawing room cabinet, p. 209, illus. 333; and on another chaise longue, p. 106, illus. 127. The latter also has very similar legs and a similar angular form to one end, which he has used again on both ends of a settee, p. 109, illus. 130.

The tooled gilt rosettes to the back I have faithfully copied from an original chair in the V&A and then had a wood block carved and my book binder has then stamped the leather prior to fitting.