WOWsah! No identifying maker's marks on the underside? I got a free wicker chair on CL recently that has an old paper tag underneath that reads Wakefield Rattan', so that puts it as being made between 1850 �" 1897 when Wakefield and Heywood merged.

I've been Googling, but haven't seen anything what you show there. Any antique/vintage shops in town where you could quietly inquire what they think? It's a statement piece, for sure!

I saw a piece like this in a high end antique shop in Alabama. I went wild over it.

However, that was sometime ago and I don't remember anything about it. I think it would look smashing in a sunroom especially.

I think three hundred dollars is quite reasonable for such a good looking piece.

Interesting piece, and I'm always a sucker for rattan. Since it's a consignment store, couldn't she call the consigner and ask for details?

Sigh...you had me at silver duck head....

If that were in my area at that price and with that intact caning, I'd buy it immediately and ask questions later!

It would be perfect on a sun porch, and I suspect that is what it was intended for, but you could put it anywhere.

I'd hold off on painting it until you find out more about it. It is hard to tell from the pictures but have the caned and rattan parts been painted? They look patchy on my monitor.

It even has the little hooks to hold a cushion on...can you see them?

My dh likes it.

This is why we drove the car here, vs flying....

And if we get it, my dh wants a pair of really expensive hoity toity shoes from a fancy mens shoe place here....I think I can fit the shoes under my feet in the car if needed for the ride home.

So fun!

Laughing at Kellie!

I suggest you get those hoity toity shoes and grab that piece of furniture. Keep telling DH what a good eye he has since he likes it. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Nate'sgramma

I love it, and would snap it up at that price!

I think this is one of those times if you don't get it you will kick yourself later.

Waiting to hear back from shop lady. She called the owner, but no answer.

They believe it is about 25-35 years old, they also said they think the metal is pewter..

back to Google.

Baker has some swan neck furniture.

I'm pretty sure in the am, I'm calling her and buying it. But you know how you just want to know.....ya know?

keep all ideas coming!

Looks older than that.

Is the caning in good condition? Make sure it is not brittle. We had simple chair bottoms re-caned recently and they cost about $100 a piece.

Yum yum yummity yum!

I wouldn't paint the rattan and caning until I'd taken a good run at cleaning and restoring it. From what I can see, the rattan has a tortoise shell pattern, and if the cane is intact, it could be stained back to its intended look.

And the pewter can be polished with Maas or Wenol and a very soft cloth. The t-shirt cloths from Lowe's work very well. I like to give it a wash with diluted olive oil soap after, to get the last of the blackened polish off, and then dry it. Pewter is very soft, and scratches easily, but after it's been polished, you can keep it in good nick with more damp t-shirt rags. It will water spot, so you want to keep that from happening.

Love it! That pillow does not do it justice. Hard to believe it is not older than 35 years. That takes it back to 1978.

It would be sad to cover up that palm design with back pillows.

SHOULD YOU WAIT UNTIL THE AM???? Or is the shop 'safely closed' for the day?

I would snap it up. I mean, what can you buy for $300 new that you can even sit on?

I agree with you though, id cover the pewter inset in the back with a pillow or a throw.

Oh my! All I know about it is that it is GORGEOUS and funky!. Get it, get it, get it!! if you have buyer's remorse (which I do not think there's any chance of), you have a local friend who'd buy (along with a finder's fee) it in a NY second!

Store is safely closed.

Here is a closeup of the medallion. Tobacco leaves?

I think your not-so-ugly ducklings are swans. If you google swan furniture images, you can find other examples. I googled rattan settee, swan head, and found a similar, but not as interesting, one.

Oops, I see you've identified them as swans. The link I posted might help with pricing--it doesn't have the pewter details, so your settee sounds like a good deal!

Here is a link that might be useful: allaboutwicker

This post was edited by mama_goose on Mon, Jun 24, 13 at 17:41

I would be waiting outside the shop when it opens in the morning! Great find.

Whoa. Great find! I wouldn't cover the medallion at all, it's the feather's of the swan. What I'd do is buy/make lumbar style pillows to use for the crook of the back when sitting on it. Upper pillows will take away it's beauty, IMO.

I love it... and I think the price is fantastic.
Buy it!

Good luck, Bee! I like it!

"Store is safely closed." LOL!!!!

You've got to bring that thing home with you. Love it.

Buy it. If you decide you don't want it I'm claiming dibs after funky art!

I don't think the medallion is tobacco - tobacco leaves are fatter, a pointed elongated oval - almost a heart, and have veins that radiate from a central stem.

We Virginia girls have cred on this subject ... :>D

swoon.

Bronwynsmom, I was just chatting with my cousin about playing in the tobacco fields when we were kids, then going to the tobacco barn's and watching them do their thing.

I think the medallion is feathers.

Obviously, you didn't come here to be talked out of something!! It isn't my style, but it is an interesting and different piece.

Yes, buy it! Fantastic piece, fantastic price! So much more interesting than so much other furniture out there :)

I agree with Bronwynsmom-- I wouldn't paint it. A good part of the charm is in the patina of the vintage rattan.

That's definitely flora in the center medallion. It looks like a marsh plant to me (not my area of expertise but my friend who lives on the creek will know what it is).. definitely not feathers.

Eager to hear that you have it packed in the car-- more eager to see where you put it!!

Have a great rest of your trip!

I'm pretty sure I won't paint it after all. I kind of like the tortoise shell look it has. My dh actually brought up the painting first! I know, shocker. If it didn't have any age to it, I would be painting it, but I have a gut feeling it needs to stay like this. And also, with the addition of some fab fabric, it will look more updated.

Store isn't opened yet. I'm without a car, but I will just buy it over the phone when they do open it.

And chispa, you are correct. It had me at "hello" when I walked by it. I am just looking to see if anybody can come up with some ideas of how old, who made it, etc. I'm waiting to hear back from the shop keeper this am with some answers too.

Well what did you do? I agree about not painting that caning. I do not care for the medallion myself and like your idea of using back cushions. It's definitely not feathers, doesn't look like tobacco leaves either.

Tobacco is still grown here near us.

It vaguely looks like a traveler palm.

I can't believe I'm sitting here
waiting for a store to open in Greenville :)

This has different lines and no swans but it reminds me a bit of yours....it is a 19th century french caned settee for 1k :) I agree no paint :).

Here is a link that might be useful: french caned settee.

IT'S MINE!!!!

I just called her back to see if she heard from seller yet, and she hadn't even thought she reached out again this am to her. I then had her check the height to make sure this will indeed fit inside the vehicle--that was good news.
And then she told me that a designer was in earlier and was seriously looking at it but had to run to an appointment and would be back....she said she was hoping I'd call back soon! I gave her my cc and it is now mine!

More of "Bee's Southern Buying Trip" to follow! (currently working on a headboard on CL, listed for $30, I've seen it on One Kings Lane for a bunch more than that and also currently on eBay for $700)....It too fits in the car. Hoping to get the seller to bring it to my hotel.

Yay! I'm glad you got it!

Your "car" sound suspiciously like a moving van ;)

Hope the "car" has a hitch, because you might need to rent a uhaul trailer if you find any more treasures. Your trips sound like mine. When I went to San Fran with DH, I had a list of home décor and carpet stores to visit ... no sightseeing! But I did drive across every bridge in the area, including GG and saw some pretty scenery!

chispa--I already looked at the cost of the U-haul trailer!

Just in case.

lol

(seriously don't want to drive 9.5 hrs with a trailer though. Well, unless it was really "necessary")

Things that I have been able to fit in my car.....

a bright torquise outdoor rolling ice cooler that I "just had to have" when I found it at Home Goods.

And by fit, I mean with the front seat leaned all the way bak, the legs poking into me as I was in the back seat and my husband as he was driving.

Things that Bee has fit into her car....

a chaise
a headboard
two people
luggage
a new pair of shoes

Hmmmm, you are a clown, aren't you?

Let's not forget dh's comment:

"We can always get more bungie cords at Walmart"

sounds like something for a tombstone...

You'll be "that" person with the precarious pile of furniture bungeed on the roof of the car driving down the driveway at too fast a speed!! lol

I want to see how it all fits in the "car". When I mentioned to DH that we should look at a good sized SUV for our next car as that will be helpful to pick up stuff, he literally looked at me asked if I seriously thought I would save money or make money by picking up more stuff on CL, shook his head and walked away. What.. I do think that.. maybe I need to make the big car is for family and friends argument first. Isn't there a model where the seats fold down at the click of a button. Need to google that :)

GWlolo, it's the Ford Expedition EL you need. Seats fold flat (with a button). You can put a 4x8 sheet of plywood in there, flat.

No, I don't have one of those. We have a Mazda CX-9. I was a Logistics major in college, which I used to describe as learning how to shove 10 lbs of *%#! into a 5 lb bag.

I actually dreamed about how we needed to position the sofa & luggage in the car last night. :)

So glad you got it! That is a one of a kind piece and the work of the pewter/silver alone is worth $300.

My first thought was that it was a Wheat Sheaf. Love it though whatever it is. So glad you got it.

Here is a link that might be useful: wheat sheaf

The sofa is in the car.

The headboard is under it.

Went to meet the headboard gal tonight. Here's how it went:

me "so you're asking $30"

her "oh, I'll take $25"

me "ok"

We pulled the sofa out of the car, moved this here, that there, put the headboard in, covered with blanket and loaded sofa back in.

Fits like a charm.

I might be losing a suitcase....and packing my stuff in plastic bags for return trip. dh will have to get my suitcase back on next trip in couple of weeks if we leave with a friend. (heck, he can put his inside it so he technically has only one for plane trip).

omg

I

LOVE

GREENVILLE

SC

I am now looking at houses!!!!

really, CL and the consignment shops are gold mines.

OH, and the consignment store lady still hasn't heard from the seller about that sofa because "they are always travelin' darlin' "

But, some sort of so-called-furniture expert saw it and told her it was "prolly Maitland Smith. "

I really do like it here.

I'm trying to work on my dh's boss to make sure he "needs" to be here and not in that fabric-3rd-world I'm in now.

And yes, I did find fabric for the cushion today...now I need to decide....

hip green

or

peacock blue....

ohhhhh

gotta go, the band is back from break that is playing outside our balcony!

It was love at first sight for me bee.
My heart picked up speed and I felt a little light headed
when I saw the arms.
Now I have to drag this ole woman body all over the country to find me one "just" like it!
You are one lucky lady. Its a treasure and you will probably be the only woman in your town with one.
Don't you just love when that happens!!!!?????

ohhhhh peacock blue! I love green-- but I peacock struck a happy nerve!