By the Victorian era of the mid to late 19th century the imperial British and western powers had extended their empire around to more parts of the world, South East Asia being one of the regions to be colonised. With them, they brought their language, principles of government, architecture and furniture etc and adapted them to the tropics.This set of furniture (sofa, grandmother and grandfather chairs) is a Victorian set from the late 19th century. Sofas are patterned after the armchair form but with wider seats to accommodate two or more people. The sofa, an all-upholstered piece, attained popularity in the Hepplewhite period and was an important and essential household piece from about 1800 through the Victorian period. Typically, hardwoods such as teak and mahogany were used as they were particularly suited to the humid climate of South East Asia. These woods stood up to the most extreme conditions and were readily available in most parts of the region. In this particular set, the legs and exposed parts of the frame are made of mahogany. The sofa has rounded arms will scrolled arm supports, a curved exposed round top rail and is flanked by cabriole legs ending in paw feet. The style is consistent with the grandfather and grandmother chairs. The set was reupholstered, however, the sofa comes with two bolster and retains the original upholstery of horse hair.
