Morris and Co Chair
These morris and co chair designs define Arts and Crafts seating, offering honest construction and timeless vernacular style for the home.
Identifying a morris and co chair
A morris and co chair encompasses nineteenth century vernacular seating forms, most frequently encountered here as the Sussex chair alongside beech, birch, and mahogany armchairs and reclining variants. These pieces span the 1870s to 1900, capturing the domestic ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement through restrained decoration and practical utility.
The Sussex chair dominates the selection, appearing with its signature slender turned uprights and woven rush seat. Alongside these nimble side and arm chairs, larger reclining armchairs and wing chairs emerge in mahogany and birch, often linked to designs by Philip Webb and George Jack.
Materials and construction
Makers utilised native timbers including beech, ash, birch, and mahogany, sometimes employing ebonised finishes or later white paint over the wooden frame. Frames feature pegged or joined construction with delicate turned spindles and uprights.
Seats rely on traditional natural rush woven tightly across the frame, while larger armchairs incorporate upholstered fabric and leather panels secured with brass details. Certain pieces integrate adjustable mechanisms for reclining comfort.
Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical UK retail prices for morris and co chair, calculated from the Sellingantiques database of over a million retail prices indexed since 2003. This retail price guide relies exclusively on Sellingantiques data; no external sources or auction records are used, so the figures do not describe the wider market.
Listings feature nineteenth century periods from 1870 to 1900, using beech, ash, birch, mahogany, rush, and fabric.
Assessing quality
Quality rests in the crispness of the wood turning and the integrity of the original rush or upholstery. Pieces retaining their early surface finishes, whether ebonised or natural timber, hold greater character than those with later repainting.
Attribution to specific designers such as Philip Webb or George Jack elevates a piece beyond standard commercial production. The tautness and original condition of the woven rush seat further distinguish superior examples.
Morris and Co·Rossetti·George Jack·Philip Webb
The Morris and Co Chair Glossary
- Sussex chair
- A traditional vernacular chair type popularised by Morris and Co, characterised by lightweight turned wooden members and rush seating.
- Arts and Crafts
- A design movement spanning the nineteenth century that valued handcraft, simple materials, and utility over mass production.
- Rush
- A marsh plant material woven tightly to create flexible, durable seat pads in traditional seating.
- Ebonised
- Timber treated with a dark stain or finish to imitate expensive ebony wood.
- Reclining armchair
- A movable chair design allowing the backrest to adjust for resting, often associated with Morris and Co comfort seating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a morris and co chair?
A morris and co chair is a nineteenth century seating design produced during the Arts and Crafts movement, known for simple vernacular forms and honest materials.
These pieces range from lightweight turned wood Sussex chairs with rush seats to substantial mahogany and birch reclining armchairs designed for domestic comfort.
How do I date a morris and co chair?
Dating relies on stylistic clues, timber choice, and construction methods pointing to the nineteenth century, primarily between 1870 and 1900.
Archival records and specific designer attributions to figures like Philip Webb or George Jack help narrow the period of manufacture.
Are rush seats original on these chairs?
Original rush seats are tightly woven from natural marsh grasses and show appropriate signs of age and wear through use.
Many surviving chairs have undergone professional re-rushing over the decades to maintain their utility.
How do I care for a rush seat?
Rush seats require a dry environment to prevent moisture damage and rotting of the natural plant fibres.
Cleaning should be limited to gentle dusting with a soft brush rather than wet wiping.
Did Morris and Co make reclining chairs?
Morris and Co produced adjustable reclining armchairs in timber such as birch and mahogany, upholstered in leather or fabric.
These functional chairs were designed to offer adjustable comfort while maintaining the firm's aesthetic standards.