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What can you tell me about this type of chair?

Found what I think to be a unique chair while shopping around yesterday. Do any of you furniture experts know anything about this type of chair? The style? Manufacturer? Anything? Picture attached isn't great quality, but you can at see everything on the chair but the very bottom of the legs. Nothing adorning the bottom of the legs. The back is havily carved (the top reminds of me of a crown), and the arms are attached to the seat portion by an open carved piece of wood on each side. I really don't know a thing about furniture, just saw the chair and thought it was kind of cool.

I think it has been reupholstered. The seat has horsehair stuffing with springs under a burnt velvet-type fabric. I think it may be cherry, but it could be another wood. That's about the extent of what I know about this chair. Do you think it was once a part of a DR suite?

DH thinks it looks like a high-school woodshop project, lol. While I have no idea of the history of the chair, when it was made, or by whom, I do think it is an interesting chair and would like to know more about it.

Has anyone seen a similar chair, or have any thoughts as to what style it would be, where it may have been made, or an approximate age?

TIA

Comments (6)

  • sombreuil_mongrel
    12 years ago

    Early 20th century parlor chair. Probably "mixed hardwoods" that originally had a very dark reddish mahogany-simulated finish. The lower portion of the chair is a vaguely French Louis style, but the urn-shaped backsplat evokes the neoclassical revival.
    Casey

  • calliope
    12 years ago

    I was thinking along the same lines, but I'm suggesting this is not a parlour chair, but what was in it's time called a reception or corner chair. Parlor chairs, especially early 20th, tend to be a bit more robust. The narrow back is often the defining point is this hair splitting answer, because it allowed the chair to be catty-whomped against a corner and the more delicate and diminuative size often led to its use in foyers and entry halls.

    I have found the height of their popularity in this configuration to be more late 1890s, but the decoration on the back certainly does not rule out early 20th and the urn does suggest neo-classical. Is it light weight for its size? Many massed produced ones around turn of the century were woods like light birch and stained mahogany. It's a nice chair.

  • work_in_progress_08
    Original Author
    12 years ago

    Thanks for the info.

    Actually, the chair is heavier than I would have thought looking at it? I had a very nice gentlemen put it into my car. I'm not a lightweight by any means, but it was really kind of heavy to carry. I don't think it is birch. Whatever it is (wood-wise), the wood appears to be more of a red color, yet seems natural as opposed to being stained a red IYKWIM. Since I just took possession of it, I have no idea what, if anything, was done with it prior thereto.

    I would like to snap a few photos of it in the daylight. It was almost dark when I snapped the above photo.

  • mootm
    9 years ago

    Hi. Only have this one pic.Is there anything you can determine about this piece at all?

  • mootm
    9 years ago

    I am very sorry. My first post in years. Oops!

  • lilylore
    9 years ago

    I think the chair was part of a vestibule set, usually an arm chair, loveseat and maybe a rocker. I'd say 1915-1925.