Early Georgian Oak/Walnut Commode Chair C.1680-1720 | English Antique Chair

This exceptionally fine early commode chair dates to the late 17th century, circa 1680–1705, spanning the William & Mary period and the early years of Queen Anne, and displaying design characteristics that would later inform early Georgian furniture.

It bears all the hallmarks of authentic period craftsmanship. The proportions, the confident yet restrained sweep of the arms, the vertical splat back and the turned legs are entirely consistent with known English examples from circa 1680 onwards, placing this piece firmly at the threshold between late Stuart and early Georgian design.

While the Georgian era formally begins in 1714, furniture of this transitional period is widely recognised for establishing the restrained, architectural language that followed. The chair’s form, proportions and construction firmly place it before the widespread adoption of Queen Anne and later Georgian stylistic developments.

Dating Rationale

The dating of this chair is supported by several key features: the rectilinear, architectural construction; the absence of cabriole legs; the restrained turned supports; and the simple vertical back with plain top rail. These elements are characteristic of late Stuart domestic furniture, predating the lighter forms and decorative vocabulary introduced during the Queen Anne and later Georgian periods. The overall simplicity, combined with the quality of craftsmanship and the deep, naturally evolved patina, further supports a date in the late 17th to very early 18th century.

Description – Form, Function & Social History

Unlike later Victorian examples, this chair was conceived with discretion and refinement, combining domestic necessity with the visual language of a well-made armchair. The commode is accessed discreetly through the rear, allowing the chair to remain visually unobtrusive within a room - an important consideration in polite households of the period.

The surface displays a wonderful, lustrous patina, built only through centuries of use, careful handling and time. The chair is in excellent condition for its age: structurally sound, robust, and reassuringly solid. It has been fully cleaned and sanitised, and all elements are complete.

Historically, such chairs formed an important part of household life, particularly for the elderly or infirm, and they remain relevant today. In contrast to modern clinical designs, an antique commode chair offers privacy, dignity and visual harmony, and is still used in refined interiors where function must sit quietly alongside form. When fitted with a cushion, it also serves convincingly as occasional seating.

An intriguing anecdote - often shared in France, where these chairs are sometimes referred to as “chaises au sel” - suggests that during periods of punitive salt taxation, contraband salt was concealed within such chairs, guarded by the presence of the household’s eldest woman. Whether charming folklore or partial truth, it underlines how deeply embedded such furniture was in everyday life.

This is not a novelty piece, but a serious and historically significant survivor, offering both beauty and narrative in equal measure.