Scratchwork Lacquer Pidha Chair from Punjab – Ca 1900

This lovely low lacquered chair is known as a pidha chair (low chair). It is from the Chiniot in the Punjab region of Pakistan. This is one of the best examples of the style we’ve seen in 45 years. It’s deeply decorative and lacquered in layers of reds, yellows, blacks, and oranges. The particular use of black lacquering is specific to Chiniot although Chinot wares can be found across both the Pakistani & Indian Punjab regions and Rajasthan, usually in the form of lacquer boxes. Some of the best lacquerware comes from Chiniot and utilizes complex skills such as scratchwork. 

Pidha chairs are found in both Pakistan & Western India (Rajasthan & Gujarat) in many varying styles. Traditionally, a new bird would sit on a pidha when visiting her new husband’s house for the first time leading to their colloquial name of ‘marriage chairs’. They were thereafter mostly decorative. 

This pidha chair is woven with a leather seat and rope suggesting it was made for a Muslim community. Pidha chair seats are more commonly made with cotton rope.

Dimensions:

70 x 55 x 97 (wxdxh cms)

Seat Height 19cm

From India

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