Sitting Pretty...

The objective of this blog is to present information on period seating furniture in a format that is understandable and enjoyable to both scholars and non-scholars alike.

In short, to make furniture yummy for everyone, everywhere.

Weekly posts will be published on Monday and Tuesday, for now.

We will analyze the manufacturing, stylistic, material and other properties of the objects.  Through this process the objects will be dated to the period in which they were crafted.

It is often through the examination of the manufacturing techniques that we determine the origins of furniture.  Some objects have a mark to help in their identification.  Ceramicists may leave a stamped or written symbol; artists will sign their name.  Some furniture may be stamped and others may have a label, but through experience I have found that most bear no witness to the hands that made them.  Labels were removed by those who worked on them over the years or simply fell off. So, we must often look to manufacturing techniques for clues. 

Analyzing stylistic aspects are also important in period identification as we are not always at liberty to dissect the furniture we find.

The first piece is a Chippendale style ribbon back arm chair discovered in the Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin antiques shop Five Star Antiques. (Shown below.)

 Chippendale style ribbon back armchair

SHS photo

Some topics coming up:

• One from my home chosen for appraisal on Antiques Roadshow  - an early 19th century Empire sofa that was converted into a chair. (Can you imagine that?) 
• And an early 20th century Arts and Crafts chair found in a northern Minnesota cabin.  
• Yet another is a Victorian armchair that defies categorization into any one of the three prevalent styles of that period.  

Keep in mind, if it has four legs and a seat, it may not walk-but it might talk! 

Hope you're sitting pretty, 
Theresa
Yummy Furniture and Design
theresamhs@sbcglobal.net
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