Morvi Shield Back Chair

Morvi is the chair that completes the four corners of this set: the shield back carries no crest and is not filled with cane, it stands on curved Louis legs and is covered in fabric. With everything else stripped away, the geometry of the shield is what remains.

The top rail is a serpentine line rising at the centre and hollowing into a concave sweep on either side; the side stiles run a little above the crest to form small ears. A stepped rebate runs along the inner edge of the frame; in the upholstered version the fabric sits in that rebate with its edge disappearing under the wood.

The front legs are curved in the Louis idiom and finish on a small pad foot; the rear legs are plain and raked back. There are no stretchers between the legs. The front edge of the seat rail draws a soft curve that pushes forward at the centre. The photographs show the bare, unfinished and unupholstered frame alongside the walnut stained version with an oatmeal fabric upholstered back and seat.