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Bottom line is, very nice old chairs. They would have more value if pre industrial age (which these appear to be) & still had their paint but the fact that it's an almost match set of 4 instead of a single chair is a plus & adds value.
Here is a Conn fan back at 1st dibs, C. 1800 in green paint, great close up pics if you click through them
https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/s...CQcYBdaUmU3bYcemUchoC45QQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

thanks James. I've been going through the Santore book. One of these days I hope to be able to ID workshops and locations through the details when it's possible. Adding a couple more views.

 

Neat, are you a collector? dealer? We don't see many "real" pieces of early american antique furniture here for some reason, it's out of fashion these days.
I was once in the market for a set of windsors but 25 years ago antique sets were hard to come by & hideously expensive, i ended up getting high quality english repro's. Great chairs, very comfy & still very popular even in today's world.

 

I'm a dealer and collector. I really want to keep these four, but will put one of those hideous prices on them and see what happens. Have two young kids and animals so we have to be reasonable with what we keep in the house until they're older.

I bought this pair at online auction the other day and haven't seen them in person yet. I got them to use in the house b/c I suspect they're more recent, but if they are old I'd probably have to sell.

 

No, this is how you teach them how to take care of things. It has to start early, otherwise, it is too late. You like them, you keep them, you put them in a corner out of harms way. Instruct the kids they are not allowed to climb on the furniture.

You give them their space to wreck havoc in, not yours.

The glass and breakables you put up high, those are mom's and no toucheee.

 

GOOD LUCK! on your sale. I am just a collector, i rarely sell anything unless it's to make room for a new piece i have fallen in lust with. You seem to be into chairs, i usually do not buy old chairs or beds, the only antique chair i own is Shaker. And, the only reason i have it is, shaker is the only known furniture that is 100% american designed, everything else we "borrowed" from other cultures and adapted. It's light as a feather & strong as iron but i can't even get the grand kids to sit in it for long (about 5 mins maybe, as soon as the novelty of leaning back on the tilters wears off, they gone). It's just not comfy to sit in but, it sure looks good!

Shaker tilter side chair, birch with cane seat. Canterbury NH c. 1830

 

My sentiments exactly!!

 

I was fortunate enough to visit Canterbury Village several years ago and was in awe of their craftsmanship and style of living.

Such elegance in the form of simplicity.

I'd recommend a visit of any of the Shaker Villages to view such fine workmanship and their simple way of life.

 

Agrees, understated elegance is how i would define Shaker furniture forms, the woodworking skill is absolutely flawless, perfect!

 

Is pretty sure the Shakers would be unhappy about describing their furniture as "elegant" but, that's exactly what happened. They pushed the design line of utilitarian, functional to a point of elegance, no doubt. Unintended consequences!

 

I think you're probably correct in that analysis.

Unless one visits one of their villages, or somehow has been witness to much of their fine craftsmanship in great quantity, (and prior to my Village visit, I had only seen a few pieces here and there....just not quite the same thing as seeing their way of life), it's impossible to imagine how elegantly simple their lifestyle was/is....(not sure if any of the original members are still alive).

I think what impressed me the most was that everything had a purpose/function......nothing frivolous. Everything painstakingly thought out and created.