Mid Century H.Don Carolis & Son Armchair(s) in Teak

*price per chair
 
A unique pair of armchairs with an fascinating origin.

Designed and produced in Sri Lanka by H.Don Carolis & Sons - circa 1960. One of the oldest companies still producing furniture, the company recently completed 150 years of trading.
 
During the 60, H.Don Carolis & Sons brought in a designer from overseas to provide a distinctive range of mid century modern designed furniture. Designing with the Sri Lankan climate in mind by keeping pieces light, and often using wicker or cane, their pieces had a distinctive style suited to local conditions. 
 
Records indicate that in 1886 an Australian dealer in horses named Avery introduced Sri Lankan furniture to Australia, which might explain how these beauties found their way to our shores.
 
The frames are slender and carved from solid teak timber. Teak (Tectona grandis) was introduced from India and Burma to Sri Lanka, and became popular and prevalent wood during the British period.
 
The unique way of joinery of combining a mortise joint and wooden dowel is evidence of the level of superior craftsmanship practices when producing these beauties.

Overall excellent condition. The frames have been polished and refinished with Osmo hard wax oil and show only slight signs of use. The seats have been stripped and reupholstered in a Warwick Noyak Spruce. We love how the fabric pics up the tone of the teak timber frames.

There is a matching three seater available, DM for more details.
 
H.Don & Sons still trade today and specialise in producing fine crafted wooden furniture. Read more about them here:
 
https://regionalfurnituresociety.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/don-carolis-a-case-study-of-a-nineteenth-century-colombo-furniture-maker-robin-jones.pdf
 
https://www.jstor.org/stable/23409302
 
https://www.sundaytimes.lk/101121/FunDay/fut_01.html