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Sedan Chair
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This Sedan Chair, from Eyton Hall, Leominster, was used by the Fuller family. Some sedan chairs were luxuriously lined with velvet and embossed with silver. This one is a fairly modest example. The present lining is striped yellow silk, but there are traces of an earlier gold brocade underneath. The roof lifts for ease of access when using the door, and the cushion covered seat is adjustable for height. The covering is leather, and the joints are concealed by brass strips ornamented with nail-head repousse. The windows possibly were covered by green silk roller blinds. The chair is carried by two 10 ft poles and has a step cut into the back to allow for the rear chairman’s stride. The first sedan chair was brought to England from Italy in 1634 by Sir Sanders Duncombe, who was granted a license to manufacture them. The origin of the name is uncertain but may be derived from the Latin verb, sedere – to sit. This new means of town transport offered the convenience of actually starting from and finishing journeys in the house. Sedans could be also hired in the streets, but this involved considerable risk if the sedan chairs were carried by unscrupulous chairmen. By the beginning of the 19th century, sedans were becoming outmoded but their use continued in Hereford until about 1830.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | 6910/1-3 |
| Date | 1760 |
| Period | Georgian |
| Collection | Social History |
| Technique | |
| Material | Leather |
| Creator | |
| Name | |
| Locality | Leominster |
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