Victorian Carpet Chair.

A Victorian Velvet and Carpet Upholstered Chair, by James Shoolbred, Tottenham Court Road, London

A richly upholstered late 19th century Victorian armchair, attributed to James Shoolbred & Co., Tottenham Court Road, London. The seat, arms, and back are decorated with sections of oriental carpet, combined with deep crimson velvet panels, highlighted with gilt-thread tassel fringes and braid trim. The bold combination of carpet and velvet, popular in high-fashion London interiors of the period, reflects the Aesthetic and Orientalist taste of the late Victorian era.

James Shoolbred & Co., established in the mid-19th century, became one of the leading department stores and furnishers of fashionable middle-class homes, noted for their quality furniture, carpets, and drapery. This chair, with its luxurious texture and eclectic design, captures the firm’s flair for opulent domestic furnishings.

English, c. 1880–1890