An easy chair, usually with a somewhat reclining back and open arms. Some versions were made with detachable book and feet rests. Also of interest are metamorphic chairs, a chair which opened up to become a set of library steps. These are quite rare and keenly sought because of their dual function, when they come onto the market.

A substantial table, equipped with drawers or cupboards, and sometimes with an adjustable reading rack, designed to stand in the centre of the library. They took the form either of a pedestal desk at which two people could sit opposite each other, or of a more conventional table form. The tops were generally lined with tooled leather. Many Australian examples in red cedar and sometimes stained pine survive from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

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A fine Colonial Australian cedar library armchair with ornate…

Colonial Australian Cedar Library Armchair, Mid 19th Century, Ornate Design

A fine Colonial Australian cedar library armchair with ornate carved back and hand rests, mid 19th century, 51 cm across the arms

A Colonial Australian spade back cedar library chair, New South…

1850 Colonial Australian Cedar Library Chair, New South Wales Origin

A Colonial Australian spade back cedar library chair, New South Wales origin, circa 1850, 52 cm across the arms

A Colonial cedar turned leg and scroll-arm library chair, in…

Colonial Cedar Library Chair in Andrew Lenehan Style, 1845

A Colonial cedar turned leg and scroll-arm library chair, in the style of Andrew lenehan. Australian, circa 1845. upholstered in burgundy and black decorative horsehair, 50 cm wide, 90 cm high

William IV mahogany and red leather library chair, c.1835 with…

William IV mahogany library chair with red leather upholstery

William IV mahogany and red leather library chair, c.1835 with rectangular back, with s-scroll arms on turned reeded legs on stretchers. Provenance: Ex-Mr and Mrs Rene Rivkin, Sotheby's, Sydney, June 2001, lot 219, then private collection, Sydney.

Napoleon III ebonised beech desk chair, c. 1860, scrolled back…

Napoleon III Ebonised Beech Desk Chair, c. 1860, Provenance Sydney

Napoleon III ebonised beech desk chair, c. 1860, scrolled back over swept arm supports, seat upholstered in close nailed woven leather, turned reeded legs terminating in a ball feet, height 74 cm, width 61 cm, depth 52 cm. Provenance: Ben Stoner Antiques,…

An Australian blackwood office chair, early 20th century, 97 cm…

Early 20th Century Australian Blackwood Office Chair

An Australian blackwood office chair, early 20th century, 97 cm high

An antique Australian blackwood and mountain ash desk chair…

Antique Australian Blackwood Desk Chair by Sikes

An antique Australian blackwood and mountain ash desk chair with crinoline stretchers, early 20th century, stamped 'Sikes', 93 cm high, 62 cm across the arms

A scarce library Chair/Folding ladder an unusual colonial era,…

Colonial Era Jarrah Library Chair/Ladder

A scarce library Chair/Folding ladder an unusual colonial era, Western Australian, jarrah metamorphic library chair with ladder back and folding frame. C.1900. Chair height: 89 cm. The ladder top step 88 cm

Exceptional Irish Regency library armchair, mid 19th century,…

Irish Regency Library Armchair with Griffin Supports

Exceptional Irish Regency library armchair, mid 19th century, in the manner of Mack, Williams & Gibton, buttoned back brown leather upholstery, with two finely carved griffin supports, height 112 cm width 82 cm depth 55.5 cm. Provenance: Private…

An Australian cedar spade back carver or library chair, New…

1850 Australian Cedar Spade Back Library Chair

An Australian cedar spade back carver or library chair, New South Wales origin, circa 1850, 60 cm across the arms

An early Colonial spade back library chair made from 'Beauty…

Colonial Library Chair from Beauty Leaf Tree, Queensland (1845)

An early Colonial spade back library chair made from 'Beauty Leaf Tree' (*Calophyllum Inophyllum), Queensland origin, circa 1845, 51 cm across the arms. Calophyllum Inophyllum is a large fruit bearing plant, and a culturally important source of Tamanu oil…

A colonial cedar library chair, late 19th century, red velvet…

Colonial Cedar Library Chair with Red Velvet Upholstery

A colonial cedar library chair, late 19th century, red velvet upholstery with a reeded seat rail raised on turned legs with porcelain casters. Provenance: formerly in the the Sheriff's Residence, 1 camp crescent, Castlemaine, circa 1854

An antique Australian revolving office chair, solid silky oak,…

Antique Australian Revolving Office Chair, Circa 1900

An antique Australian revolving office chair, solid silky oak, Queensland origin, circa 1900 62 cm across the arms

An antique metamorphic fold-over library steps chair,…

Metamorphic Library Chair with Parquetry Motif

An antique metamorphic fold-over library steps chair, Queensland maple and eucalypt with parquetry motif, late 19th century maker's label to underside 86 cm high

A Colonial library chair with splayed and ring turned legs,…

Colonial Library Chair with Carved Scroll Arm Supports

A Colonial library chair with splayed and ring turned legs, carved scroll arm supports, Australian cedar with brown leather upholstery, mid 19th century, 92 cm high, 64 cm across the arms

An Australian blackwood revolving desk chair with red leather…

Victorian Blackwood Desk Chair with Red Leather Upholstery

An Australian blackwood revolving desk chair with red leather upholstery, late 19th century, ex Public Works Department, Melbourne, 69 cm across the arms

A Louis XV style carved giltwood salon suite, 19th century,…

19th Century Louis XV Giltwood Salon Suite

A Louis XV style carved giltwood salon suite, 19th century, comprising a canape, a pair of fauteuil and a pair of salon chairs, each with a floriate carved crest rail centred by a shell anthemion, upholstered in cream floral satin, length of back of the…

Regency mahogany and cane library bergere, c. 1815, in the…

Regency Library Bergere with Cane and Leather Cushions

Regency mahogany and cane library bergere, c. 1815, in the manner of Gillows, the rectangular reeded back and padded arms above turned vase-shaped supports, on reeded turned tapering legs with brass capped castors, brown leather cushions, height 98 cm.…

A William IV mahogany library chair, with 'S' shaped arm…

William IV Mahogany Library Chair with Red Leather Upholstery

A William IV mahogany library chair, with 'S' shaped arm supports and turned and reeded legs on brass castors. Covered with red leather upholstery. England, circa 1835. Provenance: The collection of Mr & Mrs Rene Rivkin, Sotheby's Sydney, 3 June 2001, lot…

A fine pair of William IV mahogany library chairs, each…

William IV Library Chairs in Olive Green Leather

A fine pair of William IV mahogany library chairs, each upholstered in olive green leather. The reeded 'S' shaped seat supported on two reeded and tapered turned front legs and two plain back legs with brass castors. England, circa 1830. Provenance:…

Walter Burley Griffin desk chair, Japanese oak, Australia, c…

Griffin's Oak Desk Chair

Walter Burley Griffin desk chair, Japanese oak, Australia, c 1918, 110 cm high, 58 cm wide, 61 cm deep. Provenance: Newman College Melbourne University. Geoffrey Hatty Applied Arts, Australian Modernist Collection

Unusual Victorian mahogany library chair, late 19th century,…

Victorian Library Chair with Floral Upholstery

Unusual Victorian mahogany library chair, late 19th century, with scroll arms and floral needlework upholstery, on turned and carved legs with castors, height 130 cm, width 72 cm, depth 75 cm. Provenance: The Estate of Martyn Cook, Sydney

Regency mahogany and cane library armchair, 19th century, with…

Regency Library Armchair with Leather Cushions

Regency mahogany and cane library armchair, 19th century, with brown leather cushions, raised on turned legs with brass castors, height 102 cm. Provenance: The Collection of Janet and Graeme Webb, Wollogorang, NSW

A William IV mahogany and leather bergere library chair,…

William IV Library Chair with Green Leather Upholstery

A William IV mahogany and leather bergere library chair, upholstered in green buttoned leather, the down-swept arms, raised on turned and block supports, once in the library of Harrington park colonial homestead, from 1954, 50 cm wide, 81 cm deep, 93 cm…

Colonial cedar library chair (reconstructed)

Reconstructed Colonial Cedar Library Chair

Colonial cedar library chair (reconstructed)

A pair of Colonial spade back library carver chairs, cedar with…

Colonial Cedar Spade Back Library Chairs with Leather Upholstery

A pair of Colonial spade back library carver chairs, cedar with burgundy leather upholstery, circa 1880, 54 cm across the arms

A rare Australian fold-over library chair/steps, Australian…

Rare 19th Century Australian Cedar Library Chair/Steps

A rare Australian fold-over library chair/steps, Australian cedar, 19th century, 91 cm high as steps

A George III mahogany and leather library arm chair, circa 1770,…

George III Leather Library Arm Chair

A George III mahogany and leather library arm chair, circa 1770, of typical 'Gainsborough' form, the square back and padded arm-rests with downswept supports above the generous seat, on square-section supports united by peripheral and cross stretchers,…

A swivel office chair, blackwood and leather, early 20th…

Early 20th Century Blackwood & Leather Swivel Office Chair

A swivel office chair, blackwood and leather, early 20th century, 66 cm across the arms

19th century cedar open arm library chair

Cedar Open Arm Library Chair - 19th Century

19th century cedar open arm library chair

Victorian library chair cedar, green leather upholstery,…

Victorian Cedar Spindleback Library Chair with Green Leather Upholstery

Victorian library chair cedar, green leather upholstery, spindleback, ex Supreme court

Victorian library chair cedar, green leather upholstery, John…

Victorian Cedar Library Chair by John Martins

Victorian library chair cedar, green leather upholstery, John Martins, label attached

Victorian cedar swivel desk chair

Victorian Cedar Swivel Chair

Victorian cedar swivel desk chair

Walter Burley Griffin Swivel desk chair, circa 1917, made for…

Griffin's Oak Swivel Chair

Walter Burley Griffin Swivel desk chair, circa 1917, made for Newman College University of Melbourne, oak with leather upholstery, 58 cm across the arms

A Victorian mahogany upholstered library chair, 19th century,…

Victorian Mahogany Library Chair

A Victorian mahogany upholstered library chair, 19th century, the chair having a rectangular padded back with a rollover crest, padded arm rests to serpentine supports, a stuffover seat and raised on squashed bun and turned legs with porcelain casters,…

An Art Deco oak desk chair, circa 1930s-40s, in the manner of…

Art Deco Oak Desk Chair with Black Leather Seat

An Art Deco oak desk chair, circa 1930s-40s, in the manner of Paul Follot, the honey toned oak chair with a black leather seat and nail trim, having a ribbed rectangular splat flanked by side supports, with slender ribbed supports with squashed knop…

Colonial cedar leather covered library chair

Cedar Leather Library Chair

Colonial cedar leather covered library chair

A spade back cedar library chair with black leather upholstery…

Cedar Library Chair with Leather Upholstery, c1840

A spade back cedar library chair with black leather upholstery and scroll arms, c1840

A pair of George III mahogany Gainsborough library chairs,…

George III Mahogany Library Chairs, Circa 1770

A pair of George III mahogany Gainsborough library chairs, circa 1770, with shaped crest above a rectangular back, downswept arms, raised on square legs joined by stretchers, upholstered in later heraldic fabric, cream shield shaped emblems amidst foliate…

Colonial cedar library chair with open arms and adjustable back

Adjustable Cedar Library Chair with Open Arms

Colonial cedar library chair with open arms and adjustable back

Antique cedar and mahogany horse shoe back swivel desk chair

Swivel Horse Shoe Back Desk Chair

Antique cedar and mahogany horse shoe back swivel desk chair