Rare Vintage Early Ercol Model 4A Windsor Utility Kitchen Dining Chair
This model 4A utility kitchen dining chair is a very early Ercol Windsor chair. From this design, it evolved and became the more refined and rounded signature Ercol Windsor chair still being made today. Here though, the design is economical and utilitarian. It was made on a very short run, specifically between 1945-1951, and it comes with the CC41 Utility stamp on the back of the chair, a post-war requirement for furniture manufacturing to show it met government austerity regulations. It features the rare fiddle shaped seat (later to become the oyster seat) and given its years and use, its in incredible condition. A true testament to the fine craftsmanship of Lucian Ercolani. Sadly we only have one of these rare Ercol chairs but it’s quite the find with fine heritage and considerable character.
£120.00
Out of stock
Description
This is an original, vintage piece that is ‘sold as seen’. It is in overall good-very good, used condition. We have lightly cleaned the chair and applied a natural beeswax polish but otherwise left the original finish alone. As you can see in our photos, there are some hairline cracks on the back bow, a common thing with old Ercol chairs in this area. We don’t believe this will deteriorate further – it’s stable with no movement. The original dark blue ‘This is an Ercol Production’ sticker is affixed to the back of the chair, alongside the CC41 utility stamp. This stands for ‘Commodity Controlled’ and the CC41 scheme was launched in 1941 during the second world war by the British Board of Trade and applied to goods, including furniture, as proof that the item met the government’s austerity regulations. The scheme ran for 10 years between 1941-1951. Although there are scuffs and knocks to the original finish, it is very solidly constructed with no wobbles. Any marks or scuffs are minor and as you might expect, given its considerable age. In our view the vintage condition only adds to the appeal and provenance, as does its history revealed by the stamps. Please browse our photos for an accurate sense of the overall condition.
Dimensions
H: 90cm / W: 39cm/ D: 46cm
Seat Height: 44.5cm