A rare Charles II joined oak 'Durham' panel-back open armchair, North East England, circa 1670

The characteristic cresting rail with one large central and two small semi-circles, each filled with a carved stylized plant, and spaced by two pointed projections carved with a quatrefoil motif, the back panel carved with a floral-filled lozenge, with a punched-decorated border, the top of each upright and both shaped ears foliate and floral carved, the broad and run-moulded lower back rail above a small opening, the slender downswept arms with scroll-ends, raised on baluster-turned front supports, boarded seat above run-moulded rails, on baluster-turned front legs, joined all round by plain stretchers

Tobias Jellinek, 'Early British Chair and Seats 1500 to 1700' (2009), pp. 179 - 181, devotes an entire chapter to 'Durham Armchairs'. The author lists the chairs separately due to their unique nature of being 'certainly made in one particular workshop, and possibly by one craftsman; no other group of chairs can be specified in this way'. At the time of publication only twelve Durham armchairs, with another reputedly at Knole House, were recorded. The Durham chair is distinct from other similar period chairs in having a slender opening below the back panel