10. Chair by Adam and Chippendale
British art and design is a major aspect of the V&A’s collections. It is mainly displayed in the British Galleries, a rich sequence of displays that covers the period 1500 to 1900. The galleries show Britain evolving from a small maritime nation to a major world power.
This handsome chair belonged to Sir Lawrence Dundas, the son of a Scottish draper who made a fortune as an army contractor and became a baronet in 1762. He was one of the largest landowners in
Britain and also had estates in the West Indies.
To furnish his London house, Dundas commissioned the architect Robert Adam to design chairs and sofas in a suitably grand style. Richly gilded and carved with classical motifs, they were made by Thomas Chippendale, the most famous cabinet-maker of the period.
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