No chairmakers, past or present, have woven seats quite like the Poynors of Central Tennessee. This multigenerational family of formerly enslaved chairmakers harvested white oak splints, a labor intensive process typically used in basketry, to weave the seats of their distinct ladderback chairs. Over 150 years later, many of these intricately patterned seats still remain intact yet the knowledge of how they were constructed doesn't. My hope is that I, and workshop participants, will recreate and document this process in order to preserve this incredible tradition.

Robell Awake (he/him) is a chairmaker, teacher, and researcher based in Atlanta, GA.

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