Norwegian Folk Art Kubbestol, 19th Century

A remarkable Norwegian folk art kubbestol, dating from the 19th century.

Hewn from a substantial tree trunk, the chair has the wonderfully simple construction associated with these traditional Scandinavian chairs: a cylindrical hollowed body rising to form the curved back and arms, with a separate circular seat fitted within.

The surface is exceptional. Deep tobacco and warm amber tones have developed through generations of handling, with the arms and edges polished smooth from use and the centre of the seat worn almost pale. Scratches, marks and old splits remain exactly where you would hope to find them.

Historic iron straps and repairs hold the great timber body together and are an important part of the chair’s story. These are working repairs, made during its lifetime to keep a valued piece of furniture in use, and give the chair enormous character.

Most intriguing are the remains of hand-painted names and inscriptions across the inside of the back, including what appears to be “Johannes” and possibly a farm or place name. Faded into the surface rather than sitting above it, the writing gives this chair a particularly personal quality and may offer clues to its original ownership.

Kubbestols belong to a long tradition of Norwegian rural furniture, made from large hollowed trunks and used in farmhouses, often as an important chair within the household. Their construction, local decoration and centuries of practical use place them firmly within the Scandinavian folk-art tradition.

An extraordinary piece of vernacular furniture — sculptural, useful and completely individual.