At the beginning of the 19th century, trough-chairs were a popular piece of furniture in Russia. The appearance of the unusual chair shape fell on the Empire era, the last stage of classicism. The trough-chair got the name ‘trough’ due to it’s solid back with rigid veneer in the shape of a trough. The back covered the seat on three sides, the front ended with carved figures of sphinxes, eagles, griffons and swans. The predecessor of the trough-chair was the gondola chair, designed by the French craftsmen Charles Persier and Pierre Fontaine in the 18th century.
Unlike its French predecessor, the Russian model of the trough-chair had a sharper outline, an insert-type seat following a design borrowed from English furniture products. Backs could be either hard or soft.
The trough-chair displayed here dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century, made by hand, presumably in the Moscow province of the Zvenigorod district. It was made of solid wood, covered with veneer, namely thin wood cuts and a glossy varnish. The armchair is upholstered with a silk fabric, fashionable in those years, in dark blue, beige and gray stripes. Gold-colored tape runs along the edge of the upholstery. The back is soft, high, covering the seat on three sides. At the front ends of the back, you can see carved figures in the form of ram heads. Figured bronze overlays are attached to the upper edge of the back.
The trough-chair was donated by the State Historical Museum specifically for the new exhibition in the memorial house of M.I. Muravyov-Apostol. The armchair was restored twice. First in December 2004. Then the specialists of the Yalutorovsk Museum replaced the dilapidated upholstery. The chair was restored for the second time in 2005. Art restorers of the highest level from the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore worked with him extensively. Experts removed nails, leaks of old glue, varnish, restored broken structural parts, re-glued and fastened parts of the chair, opened it with stain and polished it, restored bronze lining and decorative braid.
Unlike its French predecessor, the Russian model of the trough-chair had a sharper outline, an insert-type seat following a design borrowed from English furniture products. Backs could be either hard or soft.
The trough-chair displayed here dates back to the beginning of the twentieth century, made by hand, presumably in the Moscow province of the Zvenigorod district. It was made of solid wood, covered with veneer, namely thin wood cuts and a glossy varnish. The armchair is upholstered with a silk fabric, fashionable in those years, in dark blue, beige and gray stripes. Gold-colored tape runs along the edge of the upholstery. The back is soft, high, covering the seat on three sides. At the front ends of the back, you can see carved figures in the form of ram heads. Figured bronze overlays are attached to the upper edge of the back.
The trough-chair was donated by the State Historical Museum specifically for the new exhibition in the memorial house of M.I. Muravyov-Apostol. The armchair was restored twice. First in December 2004. Then the specialists of the Yalutorovsk Museum replaced the dilapidated upholstery. The chair was restored for the second time in 2005. Art restorers of the highest level from the Sverdlovsk Regional Museum of Local Lore worked with him extensively. Experts removed nails, leaks of old glue, varnish, restored broken structural parts, re-glued and fastened parts of the chair, opened it with stain and polished it, restored bronze lining and decorative braid.
