Featured Age, origin of chairs?

There was a pair of these chairs at the thrift store yesterday that seem very old. Just how old and from where? I did not buy them and these are just some quick photos I took with my phone. The back splats are hand cut and the back construction is pegged. The cross-stretchers under the seat are hand shaped and seem to be a later addition, as they are just nailed in. As you can see, lots of evidence of woodworm or insect activity.

 

I would expect more wear on the headrest? The edges on the legs/body just seem to sharp.The finish is odd too. I dont know why,but something tells me more modern. Im often wrong though !

 

I was going to say, "let's tag Verybrad"!

(But Brad is the one who wrote the post!)

Maybe first half of 20th century?? I'm not great at furniture, though. Wait for others.

 

Due to construction and the appearance of the splat I'd say 1880s, aesthetic movement. The fit and finish makes me think northeastern U.S. or perhaps the "old midwest," i.e. Chicago, Cleveland, etc.

 

You mean @verybrad, the "random old dude"?

Sincerely,
The Mean and Toxic Person

 

Isn't Chicago still in the Midwest? The Midwest is an interesting concept. I've almost always lived in the Midwest, but realize that my idea of Midwest is different from that of others. The U. S. government has a broad definition of the Midwest, and it includes 12 entire states. The state of Ohio is included, so Cleveland just barely makes it at the edge.
This map of how it is defined for the U.S. Census is at the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/midwest.htm

 

I saw these and was intrigued/puzzled by them. They were only $6.00 each and quite sturdy. I have no use for more chairs but thought this might make for an interesting post.

I am not really seeing aesthetic period and would have thought older. However, I really don't know. The pics don't really show it but the splats are very hand made from a single piece of wood. I would expect late Victorian mainstream furniture to be more polished and posibly veneer faced. The pegged construction also seems earlier. Wood looks to be cherry or other fruitwood, which I would also not expect from a US manufacturing company.

These are obviously cottage or kitchen chairs, rather than for a fine dining room. They could have been made in a smaller country shop. My gut reaction was that they were English or Continental and possibly as early as the turn of the 18th to 19th century. The worm damage which extends to the obviously early crude repair might also be swaying my opinion. Who knows, they could have been chucked in to a barn not all that long after they were made 100 or so years ago..... or was that 200 years ago?

Any other thoughts? Origin of that back splat pattern?

 

As a lifelong Midwesterner, I don't get the 12 states bit. To me, the Midwest is Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Might throw in Minnesota, Iowa and Missouri if stretching it. No way would I include the plains states that they do.

 

Similar here!

I also think, topographically, that the states farther west could fall into a different classification. If they must be divided by state lines, that makes things awkward. The topography and social culture of states bordering on, but west of, the Mississippi River seems Midwestern while closer to that river. Some of those states don't seem very Midwestern on their western fringes. And the social cultures seem different.

Anyway, my opinions won't change anything. So we'll live with it.