Roorkee Chair Walnut & Green Leather Campaign Chair

ROORKEE CHAIR This chair is made to order. Also known as a Campaign Chair, or the 1898 Chair, this piece is part of the Campaign Furniture tradition, which embodies mobility, lightness, & durability. The design was a solution to the traditional furniture used in the field, held together by metal screws, glue, & heavy joinery. The Roorkee chair has none of these - the act of sitting in the chair reinforces its structure & tightens it together. The human body at rest is the final piece of this chair. Originating in 1898 in Roorkee, India, it's not known who came up with the design. At the time, Great Britain's military was occupying India & its East India Company was dominating trade, commerce, & security - the standing army of the East India Company in 1898 was larger than that of Great Britain. Given the global reach of the British empire at the time & the vitality of India to trade, someone from nearly anywhere could have invented this chair. It functions as a sort of silent icon in the design world & the history of design. You can see it its echoes everywhere. Some of them, like Kaare Klint's 'Safari Chair' are almost exact replicas; others, like the famous Wasilly chair, enact the same principles in subtle curves of metal & exude sleek industrial waves. The original Roorkee chair combines premium English bridle leather & full-grain hardwoods with a design based on necessity & utility. in the span of few minutes, you can break it down into a pile just thirty inches long, eight inches wide & eight inches high, which is easily stored in a canvas bag. Whether you take it to the campsite regularly & keep it in your car overnight in deep winter or leave it in your warm living room year-round, this chair will last for a generation & continue to perform. Each leg of this chair moves independently, making its operation more like a four-wheel drive vehicle than a traditional chair. The leather seat & back components are slung between pieces of wood that tighten the legs towards one another as you put weight on them. This, & the fact that none of the tenons are glued or screwed into their mortises, allows it to adapt effortlessly to terrain of varying heights - the side of a hill, a beach with deep sand, a rocky desert campground. Leaning back in the chair results in a rotation of the back piece, with force being exerted toward the lumbar spine. The leather is from Wickett & Craig, one of America's oldest tanneries. English Bridle Leather is vegetable tanned & hot-stuffed with tallow & waxes, making it very durable & water-resistant. The Black Walnut is sourced from a local arborist, kiln-dried & seasoned. All of the wood components are hand-turned on the lathe. ASSEMBLY: Once you place your order, you will receive a link via Etsy messaging to a youtube video that provides clear assembly instructions. No tools required, & it's easier to set up & break down than you'd think. SHIPPING: The chair will arrive in 6 individually wrapped parcels, packaged together in paper & bubble wrap. Not using a cardboard box keeps the shipping costs down considerably. Unwrap with care. Shipping cost will vary depending on your distance from New York state. Cross-country is around $100. Roorkee Chair Walnut & Green Leather Campaign Chair