Pair of Colonial Hardwood Side Chairs with Rattan Seats, 18th Century

Indonesia, Jakarta (Batavia) or India, first half of the 18th century

Both carved with scrolling motif, and Hindu mythological Naga’s on the front feet, with rotan seatings.

Measures: H. 110.5 x W. 53 x D. 57.5 cm

Note:
The overall character of the carved decoration on these chairs is reminiscent of both the designs of the French Huguenot court designer Daniel Marot (1661-1752) and of Indian Hindu visual culture. Daniel Marot became the most influential designer of interiors in the Netherlands during the early 18th century and a little later to a lesser extent in the Dutch East Indies as well. Some examples are illustrated in Furniture from Indonesia, Sri Lanka and India during the Dutch period, Jan Veenendaal 1985 and in Uit Verre Streken, October 2002 and June 2004. The Hindu mythological Naga’s, incorporated into the legs of the chairs suggest that these chairs were made by Hindu/Tamil craftsmen working either in India or, more likely, in Batavia.