Single Seater Sofa in Carved Teak - Gold Gilt with Floral Panels

Look where a leg meets the seat rail on this chair. There is a small square block there, carved with a rosette, and it is not decoration.

A straight tapered leg creates a problem that a cabriole does not. A cabriole is thick at the top, so there is plenty of timber for a deep mortise where the seat rails join it. A tapered leg that is slim at the top has almost nothing to cut into - and a shallow mortise in a chair leg is exactly where chairs come apart.

The answer, worked out in the late eighteenth century and used ever since, is to leave the top of the leg square and full-thickness for a short distance before the taper and the fluting begin. That square section is the die block. It gives both seat rails a full-depth mortise, at right angles to each other, in solid timber - and it does it without making the visible leg any thicker.

Carving a rosette on its outer face then turns a piece of pure structure into a deliberate detail, which is why the block reads as ornament rather than as a lump.

Our craftsmen cut the mortises into those blocks before any fluting is worked, because the flutes have to start exactly where the block ends - and on all four legs at the same height, or the chair looks as though it is sinking on one side.

Frame: Solid teak throughout - back frame, seat rails, closed arm frames, arm supports and legs. No veneer over engineered board.

Construction: Straight fluted tapered legs with carved rosette die blocks at the seat rail joints, carved crest with turned finials, carved acanthus arm supports, carved seat rail with foliate centre.

Upholstery: Floral panel on the back and a related panel on the loose seat cushion, closed upholstered sides, padded arm rests and a sprung seat platform. Panels can be woven, embroidered or replaced with plain upholstery, all in materials of your choice.

Finish: Hand-applied gold leaf, burnished. Silver or champagne leaf, painted tones or natural teak can be specified.

Dimensions: Custom sizes made to order - confirmed in writing before production.

Available: Singly, in pairs, or matched to a sofa.

Made: Handcrafted Indian luxury, produced to order by master Indian artisans.

The loose seat cushion travels wrapped separately in a breathable cover that will not compress the filling or crease the panel across its face.

The floral panels on the back and seat are covered in breathable protective layers applied without compression, so nothing needs steaming on arrival.

The gilded carving is covered first in a soft, lint-free wrap laid on without tension, since burnished leaf marks under pressure long before timber does.

The carved crest and its two turned finials stand highest and are guarded with rigid covers shaped over them rather than padded against.

The carved acanthus arm supports project forward at the front of each arm and take the first contact through a doorway; each is sleeved individually.

Each fluted leg is padded along its length with a rigid guard at the foot, and the carved rosette blocks at the top are protected separately. The chair then goes into a rigid outer carton braced internally. Ordered as a pair, each is crated separately. Dent-free arrival is guaranteed.

Free delivery is included anywhere in India, with no distance surcharge and nothing added at the end. Metros, tier-two cities and smaller towns are served on the same terms, and a pair ships on the same free terms as a single chair.

Production begins once your dimensions, panel design, fabrics, carving depth and finish are confirmed in writing. Panels are made while the frame is carved and gilded, and fitted during upholstery, so the two run in parallel - we give you an honest timeline and keep you updated as both progress.

We dispatch through carriers experienced with gilded, carved and upholstered furniture, and send tracking details as soon as the chair leaves us.

On arrival our team brings the chair in, sets the seat cushion, checks it sits firm and level on your floor and removes all packaging. Dent-free arrival is guaranteed - if anything is not right, tell us and we will resolve it.

The solid teak frame and joinery carry a 20-year warranty - the back frame, the seat rails, the arm frames and supports, and every leg joint.

The die blocks at the top of each leg are the reason a straight-legged chair can carry that term. They keep the leg full thickness exactly where the two seat rails enter it, so both mortises are cut to full depth in solid timber at right angles to each other. That joint is what fails first on straight-legged chairs built without them.

The closed arm frames are jointed into the back frame and the seat rails at both ends, since an upholstered side takes load from people leaning on it as well as from the arm rest above.

The teak carries a lifetime warranty against termite damage for as long as you own the chair, from the oils in the timber rather than the leaf over them.

If anything covered needs attention, send us your order details and photographs and our artisans will handle the repair or replacement.