Featured Antique prayer chair - looking for more information

Hi everyone,

New to these forums so just quickly going to introduce myself, I'm Andy and I'm currently setting myself up as a furniture upcycler and reupholsterer.

I've managed to pick up this unusual antique prayer chair and I'm looking for a bit of information if anyone is familiar with this style of chair. The chair features castors which are made by Cope & Collinson both engraved into the wheel as well as cast into the brass.

The chair features ornately carved detailing on the backrest, one corner of which the moulding has been damaged so I would be looking to get this repaired and patched in, please see photos. I am then looking to reupholster the chair.

Many thanks in advance for any information you can give me.

Andy

 

A beautiful and unusual ecclesiastical chair. The finish is appropriately age-darkened so it makes discerning the wood a bit harder, but I'd say it's either rosewood or walnut. For style, I'd say Rococo Revival edging into Renaissance Revival, ca. 1860. I take it you're in England? Could be 1850s.

However, the thing about ecclesiastical furniture is that it tends to be conservative, so styles linger a bit longer in church-related furniture than out in the "real" world. So the chair could be 1870s.

Anyway: a beautiful piece, although the shape of the back may limit the amount of customers you have.

 

Not strictly ecclesiastical, in that it would have been in a home, not a church. I'd agree on 1860s ish and on, it's nicely carved. However, that 1970s green velvet is unpleasant. I'm delighted you're redoing it. The damage wouldn't worry me much.

 

Unpleasant indeed. And cheap. Wouldn't the original back have been tufted? That would added more character.

Debora

 

"Wouldn't the original back have been tufted?"

Likely. Restoring that will be a good test of Andrew's upholstering skills.

 

It would have been a sort of moquette or tapesty look.

 

Would I be "incorrect" in saying it looks like a "chancel chair" to me -- you know, the chair a minister, pastor, etc. sits on when the choir is singing, when not delivering the sermon, when not making announcements.

 

Not at all, YTTLI. It definitely looks like a piece that would have been in a church.

 

I'm also wondering about the term "prayer" chair. Does that mean low-slung? Like a "slipper" chair? At first I thought you were referring to a prie dieu, but one on casters would be ...unfortunate for the user. The carving is exceptional, BTW.

 

DW, I think it's kind of a loose term that intersects with "kneeler." The top of the back can be padded or not. The one thing that seems to usually be true is that the back is higher than most, a la a "slipper" chair. So....."Prayer" chair? "Slipper" chair? It's easy enough to figure out.

 

Yes mid Victorian Prayer chair, It would have been covered originally in hand stitched wool work and possibly beadwork too.....
I have four Prayer chairs

Also called a Prie Dieu.

 

Hi all, thank you for your replies.

@Ghopper1924 - yes I am indeed based in England, I am quite a fan of the shape of the back, I'm hoping when covered in a striking and complementary fabric that this shape will be one of the main drawing features of the chair.

Would you be able to hazard a guess at the approximate value of a piece like this?
It would seem that it is a pretty rare piece of antique furniture.

 

Lovely! We need to see a newly upholstered photo when you are finished!

Leslie

 

I would put it at about £80 - £100, I'm in the UK too and I go to a lot of antique centers and fairs and there are a lot of those types of chairs around, sadly they don't bring the money they used to do years ago though.

 

I'd agree on about the £80 mark.

 

Agree with the above. Despite this one's undeniable quality, chairs simply don't bring as much money as you'd think they should.

 

I'm genuinely surprised that this would be the expected value for a chair like this. I take all your advice but I am still optimistic that there will be demand when it is reupholstered. Many thanks again all!

 

Good luck
I have to say though that even chairs like that with the original covering are low in price, I bought one recently for £50 and that was in an Antiques centre.

 

Welcome to Antiquers, @Andrew Baillie -- Although "brown furniture" has less value than it once did, this is a beautiful chair.

 

As with most furniture that's a bit out of favor, and if it's reupholstered - just need to find the person who appreciates what it is. A very nice piece IMO.