Edward Gardiner and Philip Clissett. A harlequin set of three Arts & Crafts Cotswold School ladder back armchairs. Two with newly woven rush seats.

Below is a run down on them looking at the main image from right to left:-

1.The one on the far right is stamped on the inside leg Ed Gardiner and 0.5 inch smaller than the other three which are all the same height 35 inches, all four are 24 inches wide at arms the and 16 inches deep at the seats.

2. The middle right armchair in the main image retains its original sea grass seat.

3. The middle left is by P Clissett, has had the two upper ladders repaired and a new woven rush seat.

4. SOLD. The one on the far left is by Edward Gardiner. SOLD

The chairs are handmade showing honest construction, the E Gardiner ones have fine line markings made on the lathe to mark where the joints are to be drilled, and through mortice joints to the tops of the arms which are a wonderful detail. Although very similar Philip Clissett armchairs are earlier and do not have fine line markings, nor do they have through mortice joints to the tops of the arms.

These ladder back chairs are steeped in history, their design have evolved from a long line of English chair makers going back to the late 17th and 18th century.

Edward Gardiner was encouraged to take up chair making by Ernest Gimson who in turn was encouraged by Philip Clissett. Clissett had been making traditional ladder back chairs from as early as 1838, those skills passed down to him becoming a famous master craftsman of his own generation because of his fortuitous connection with the Arts & Crafts Movement and it's call to honest handmade goods. He was discovered by Ernest Gimson who spent a few weeks with Clissett in circa 1890 to learn the art of chair making which Gimson in turn passed onto Edward Gardiner and encouraged him in circa 1904. Gardiner then developed his own art and style of chair making in the traditional way. Always handmade usually from Ash making them quite tactile, extremely strong and durable, yet very lightweight and therefore easy to move around.

Clissett was once described by Alfred Powell as resembling, ‘what the old aristocratic poor used to be’...

This type of furniture is exactly what the Shakers took with them and what they drew their inspiration from in furniture design when they emigrated to America from the UK in the 1770s.