Featured Speaking of old chairs............ help !

I picked this up at an upstate NY ethnographic auction of very high quality stuff.
This and a drop leaf table were the last 2 items ....from the same collection...that no one wanted till the auctioneer asked for $100 a piece.
What choice did I have ?? Heehee....

 

Komokwa, I really like the chair but i am curious . . . what is the height of the seat?

It looks like my feet might actually touch the floor if I sat in that chair even with a cushion in it. Or is that an optical illusion because of the high back on the chair?

 

No illusion....it's low at only 15 inches....and scary to sit in cuz it creaks....but comfy to the max once yer butt is settled in.

The casters are just round metal balls in a socket......& they;re decidedly weird !

 

so....this must be a one of a kind turn of the century arts & crafts oak & cane wingback chair , that no one has ever seen before ???

YAY !
( kind of...)

 

Interestingly, I saw a very similar chair last night at the local auction. The one I saw had turnings, profiled edges, and curves. I would guess it dated to c. 1925. Yours is more Mission in form but is by no means pure to the style. These chairs are based on Elizabethan prototypes. The side wings on the backs were to combat drafts. Obviously, with the caning, they would not be as effective at blocking drafts. I doubt your chair is unique. However, it is not a common form for mission furniture.

As for your ball casters, they are sometimes found on early 20th century furniture. I have a Mission-esque chair tucked away somewhere that has them.

 

I thought I would go to the auction listing for a pic of the chair last night. Obviously, they didn't think enough of it to photograph it. It can barely be seen at the far right of this pic ........


It was in very good condition with a nice wear pattern to the original finish on the arms. It was solid walnut. The caning was in great shape and a custom thin cushion in dark green velvet was made to fit in the seat. Quite comfy. I bid up to $15.00 for it and it sold for $17.50 ( I would have to have bid $20.00 at the next increment). Not a lot of interest in it but it did fair better than the one just left. It sold for $4.00.

I did buy the very dark finish table at the far left for $5.00.

 

Thanks guys for " nursing " this thread along.
I still haven't found any other chair with the same look......

 

I tried several different ways to search but couldn't come up with anything either. I am sure that a lot of these old chairs got pitched when the caning gave out.

 

My cane is surprisingly strong and intact.....

 

Liveauctioneers similar, all three pieces sold for $800 and I believe they are saying Limbert Ebon-oak.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/19922604_limbert

 

Similar but not the same. Both Limbert and Stickley Bros. had caned pieces in their lines but the subject chairs are not either of theirs.

 

maybe not theirs , but closer than anything i've seen yet....