Rockingham Chippendale Sofa: Hand Dyed Ebony Leather

British Prime Minister 1765-1766 & 1782

Aristocracy at its finest, the ellegant 18th century inspired Rockingham is a graceful throwback the Chesterfield origins.

Charles Watson-Wentworth, the 2nd Marquee of Rockingham. He served in only two high offices during his lifetime (Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Lords), but was nonetheless very influential during his one and a half years of service. One of Watson-Wentworth’s biggest influences actually came in his second stint at the helm when he oversaw the abolishment of The Relief of the Poor Act 1782. This saw the creation of Unions and Civil Parishes, later officially called ‘unions under Gilbert’s Act’, to provide outdoor relief and set up workhouses.

We like to think that our camel back Rockingham sofa metaphorically encaptures the ups and downs of his leadership. However, of course, it has to be said that there’s an awful lot of inspiration drawn from the hugely talented Thomes Chippendale in this piece too.

This hand dyed ebony leather is a great example of a Chippendale piece. We installed a flat seat in this piece as per the client’s wishes, but we could easily finish with a buttoned or cushioned seat. The humped back in this Manner 2 crafted piece (scroll down to our crafting menu for more information on our crafting manners) offers not only an architectural finish, but one that offers great support and comfort too. The splayed arms and stunning ball and claw hand carved legs add extra suave and distinction to this particular sofa. It’s extremely glamorous and representative of a truly upper class home for centuries gone by.

How We Craft Our Pieces.