Irish Pawfoot Bench

The Irish Pawfoot Bench is a celebration of classical craftsmanship. Traditionally made in English quarter-sawn or brown oak by one of the country’s finest chairmakers, the turned back spokes and carved rosettes are testament to their skill.

Originally commissioned over 30 years ago by the London National Gallery this bench was in fact the first ‘Made By Howe London’ piece ever made, still sitting proudly and perfectly in place in the gallery (4th image).

A huge amount of work and unrivalled skill goes into creating each lion clawfoot. First, it is carefully drawn on to the wood, before working with a multitude of chisels to chip, shave and carve out each claw and every wisp of hair.

“A combination of [Christopher’s] sculpting background and Roy’s applied genius allowed us to develop the technique of lifting the hairs so they sat softly on the surface of the paw rather than as they started out as marks scored into the surface of the wood.”