Peter Waals Cotswold School Oak Chest of Drawers

Born in the Hague in 1870, Peter Waals learned cabinet making in Brussels, Berlin and Venice before arriving in London in 1900. The furniture historian John Gloag described Waals in later life as ‘an enormous bulky great Dutchman with shoulders like a gorilla and a deep voice. He loved to contradict people, which he did all the time’. From about 1902 he worked with Ernest Gimson and Ernest Barnsley in building up the team of craftsmen in the workshops at the Fleece Hotel, Cirencester, and then at Daneway, near Sapperton, Gloucestershire. He became foreman of the workshops from 15 March 1905.

Peter Waals studied under Ernest Gimson eventually owning his own workshop and latter becoming a consultant at Loughborough College shortly before his death in 1937

Ascribed to the Loughborough College workshops under the tutelage of Peter Waal or Edward Barnsley who were both the appointed consultant cabinet makers who introduced and developed the "Cotswold tradition" there.

Notable features of the Cotswold Tradition of antique furniture making were the careful choice of solid wood to make simple, well-proportioned, functional pieces, the use of an open construction with dovetailing or pinned joints, and restrained decoration. All evident on this piece.

Peter Waals died in 1937 but was succeeded as consultant in cabinet making and design by another craftsman directly linked to the Cotswold Tradition. Edward Barnsley, son of Sidney, taught at Loughborough, developing what Waals had begun and instructing and influencing new generations of handicraft teachers in the Cotswold Tradition of furniture making.

The furniture itself was made by students training at the College to be handicraft teachers. In addition to their individual pieces, they made the bedroom, dining hall and library furniture designed by Peter Waals. Some is still in use in the University today, notably the high table and chairs constructed for the dining room of Hazlerigg Hall.

These where often made by apprentice cabinet makers at the college for the dormitories.

it is

86 cms wide

57 cms deep

118 cms high

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