prie-dieu
Object
Accession Number
983.157Alternate Name
chairDescription
A walnut-framed upholstered chair, the side railings of ridged walnut with trim with carved rosettes at their tops, the dark green velvet upholstery buttoned and edged with beige gimp, the floral needlework centre panel extending from the top of the chair to the front rolled edge, the front legs turned, the back legs lightly splayed.Narrative
The French term prie-dieu means “pray to God.” Chairs of this type were very popular during the Victorian period. When used for devotional purposes, the user knelt on the seat, resting their arms on the padded top edge.The needle work design down the centre of this chair is done in Berlin wool work. Berlin wool work is a style of counted thread needlework, a technique where stitches are made at regular intervals across the support fabric. Worked in a cross-stitch or tent stitch across the entire support fabric, it creates a strong, durable material that is perfect for upholstery.
Berlin wool work became extremely popular in the mid 19th century. The pre-printed, easy to follow patterns were accessible to the growing middle class and the development of synthetic dyes allowed detailed shading to be used to depict realistic, almost three dimensional designs.
History of Use
The history of use of this chair is unclear. One Castle Society record suggests that it was donated to Craigdarroch by Mrs. R.A.C. Milnes in 1972.1 Another record suggests that the donor was Mrs. Herbert William Davey.2 If this is true, it is possible that she executed the needlework.1. Report of Castle Society President James K. Nesbitt to Society Members, October 6, 1972.
2. Hand-written list created by James K. Nesbitt in 1980.
