17th Century TextilesPage 2
Upholstered chairs were common in middling homes throughout the seventeenth century. They were covered in leather (often imported from Russia), needlework or a woollen cloth known as 'turkey work', and in more wealthy homes, silk and wool damasks. Turkey work was so called because it resembled Turkish carpets, although it was woven in England, especially in Yorkshire.
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Chair, c1685; beech with turkey work upholstery.
© Geffrye Museum
© Purchased with the assistance of the Art Fund, and the MLA/V&A Purchase Grant Fund