Armchair

The discovery of gold in Victoria in 1851 resulted in several waves of immigration to Australia in the second half of the nineteenth century, with many immigrants travelling to Victoria from across the globe in the pursuit of gold. In the 1850s, these gold seekers included around 42,000 Chinese migrants, large numbers of whom settled permanently in Australia, establishing a range of entrepreneurial businesses. The gold rush brought great economic prosperity to the colony of Victoria, and the furniture trade flourished, including that of Chinese cabinet-makers. Even so, many Chinese immigrants experienced hostility from furniture-makers of European ancestry, who were annoyed because they produced their work cheaply and therefore diverted trade from them, also accusing them of plagiarism.

This rare and intriguing armchair dates to the 1870s and is made of red cedar and blackwood, both Australian timbers. The chair, with a square form, has a box frame and squared arms and back, a style popular in China from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. The chair features a distinctive Chinese style, including scrolls, bone inlay and carved motifs. It was probably made in Victoria by Chinese immigrants who originally came to the colony in search of gold and later worked as cabinet-makers. It was originally part of a set, the set including two cupboards in the same style.

Rebecca Evans, Curator of Decorative Arts & Design