Collecting Primitive Welsh furniture

Made by self-taught craftspeople rather than trained cabinetmakers, primitive furniture owes its appeal to its individuality, simplicity and endurance

- says Emma Longstaff

The word 'primitive' might sound derogatory, says Welsh antique furniture dealer Tim Bowen, 'but there is nothing substandard about what we now describe as primitive Welsh furniture.

' Tim explains that it's described as primitive because it was made by local craftspeople who were not trained cabinetmakers. 'It's likely they worked daily with wood – as carpenters, cart-makers, coopers, hurdle-makers or spinning-wheel turners – and brought the same techniques they used in everyday life to the making of furniture.' Their approach, he says, was unconventional; completely different from the sophisticated methods employed in cabinetmaking workshops. 'They didn't waste much time prettifying. But they still knew how to make furniture that was practical, durable and strong.' Centuries later, its survival is testament to the skill of the unknown makers.

'Some pieces are very basic – a slab of sycamore with three or four simple stick legs,' Tim says. 'We're not talking about Welsh dressers, which belong to the formal tradition of cabinetmaking. Primitive furniture is much simpler and more utilitarian – chairs, benches, stools, little tables, or racks for drying oatcakes. It was all shaped by necessity, such as the basic need to get off the cold floor and keep warm by the fire.' Today, part of its charm is the simplicity of the construction, and the way every tool mark and knot in the wood takes us back to the original maker.

Primitive furniture isn't unique to Wales. Similar work was produced in other remote rural communities, where people relied on local makers rather than trained cabinetmakers. Irish hedge chairs, Scottish crofter's stools, or Scandinavian log-built benches – all have a regional character, shaped by local materials and needs.