Adam's IRISH VERNACULAR 12 APRIL 2023

63 www.adams.ie Hedge chairs are a distinctive type of furniture with a unique history, which reflects the rural nature of their creation. Often made by so-called hedge carpenters in rural Ireland, the chairs were made using naturally bent timber to achieve their desired shape with minimum cutting. Hedge carpenters were not highly regarded compared to other woodworkers due to their use of inexpensive timber and lack of formal apprenticeships. As a result, the chairs were often made from gleaned timber found in hedgerows, leading to a broad variety of contrasting wood types in each chair. The term kitchen chair was also used to distinguish hedge chairs from more stylish parlour chairs. However, the label ‘ famine chair’, applied by antiques dealers, is a misnomer with no evidence supporting its use by householders. Additionally, the term Irish Windsor is wholly inappropriate for these chairs, as there is no evidence that hedge chair makers were influenced by Eng - lish chair-making tradition. Hedge chairs are instead characterised by their stick construction, where the legs and upper frame are fixed independently of each other into the seat, with lathe work being exceptional, and legs not usually linked by stretchers. Despite being looked down upon by other woodworkers, the hedge carpenter’s artistry is evident in the chairs’ design, with their work often deviating from the square and exhibiting the charm of irregularity. Hedge carpentry was a diverse trade in Ireland, where tradesmen had to possess a wide range of skills to survive economically, and hedge carpenters were often small farmers as well, growing their own food to feed their families. Hedge chairs are an important part of Ireland’s furniture history, and their unique design reflects the ingenuity and practicality of rural Irish craftspeople. 105 AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY HEDGE CHAIR, in elm and ash, rail back and arms on turned supports with plain panel seat on doweled splayed legs, incised ‘H’. 61 (w) x 79 (h)cm Provenance: Private Collection Midlands € 1,200 - 1,800