Armchair
About 1870
Painted and varnished wood with carved seat
H. 35 x W. 24 in. (89 x 61 cm)
Victoria & Albert Museum, IS. 98-1871

Painted and lacquered craft has had a long tradition in Kashmir. In the nineteenth century, Kashmiri craftsmen expanded their repertoire to meet the demands of the European market. Furniture imitating English prototypes of the Regency period (1811–1820) was produced on a large scale and became quite popular in Srinagar. This chair was exhibited in the Indian Court of the First Annual International Exhibition in London in 1871 as an example of the exquisite craftsmanship of Indian handmade objects.