Featured A Tale of Two Chippendale Chairs (with a hero)

When I purchased my Craftsman Bungalow twenty-two years ago, I needed a chair to place in front of the built-in secretary. So I went to the antiques swap meet in search of something suitable. I found what I was told was a Victorian reproduction of a Chippendale chair. I foolishly bought it and brought it home.



Don't laugh. Several years later, a friend brought his friend, an antiques dealer, over for a visit and to my chagrin, I was told it was a modern reproduction and a poor one at that. I vowed to replace it. So when I completed my recent 18 month restoration of my living/dining room, the time had come. Enter this forum. I sought to master the knowledge of how to determine the real from the reproduction. After a year, I learned I might die before I gained enough knowledge to do that.

Enter the hero @James Conrad. I tasked him with helping me find an actual Chippendale chair at a price I could afford. No mean task. After months of me showing him chairs from various auctions, he just pointed at one he found. Voila.


A Pennsylvania Chippendale walnut armchair, ca. 1770, with a shell carved crest, pierced splat and shell carved legs, terminating in ball and claw feet. Provenance: Alice Vaux Lewis, Easton, Maryland; Joe Kindig Jr. & Son 1985; The Collection of Daniel Heisler and Mary Jane Sheppard, Lutherville, MD.

Mine. Mine. All Mine. Because James taught me how to bid (you've seen his posts), I got it for less than the initial bid price and well below the estimate. I wanted to share this gorgeous chair with all of you.

 

Lovely chair ! And a great story ! I too have learned so much from James posts.

 

It's a beauty, isn't it. I am so thrilled. James is a real asset to the forum.

 

You are so right about that.

 

Yay!! Good going, James!

 

Beautiful! Enjoy. Great story too. What little I know about furniture, came from Brad and James.

 

He is something else, isn't he.

 

Thank you. It's spot is waiting for it to come. I read both their posts with fervent interest too.

 

It's a very nice example, it's period & the price was right considering repair to one arm. It was once owned by Joe Kindig, a well known dealer in PA. Probably part of a dining set built somewhere around Philly in last quarter 18th century.
I am happy you finally bagged it, it takes time & patience to build any collection.
ENJOY YOUR CHAIR!

 

NICE, NICE buy @KikoBlueEyes !!!! WELL done!!

 

Without you, I was lost.

 

Thank you. I am most thrilled with the chair, but my best bit was asking James for help.

 

And I agree.....THAT was a GREAT idea......WHY NOT ask an EXPERT!!!!!!

 

HOW exciting, @KikoBlueEyes! And very smart to ask @James Conrad

WELL DONE!!

 

Is it gonna come in a crate??!!

 

I got up at 5:30 in the morning because the auction was back east and the chair was early in the auction. I watched the first few items go for thousands and then tens of thousands. When my chair came up, my finger hovered over the bid button and then suddenly the asking price dropped by a third. You bet it was exciting.

 

I've just started the shipping process. James recommended Uship, which is a shipping service. If you want, I'll keep you apprised of how it goes.

 

When you see such 'fine' pieces, your eyes just curl around them and love them. And you know if Joe was in the line of provence it was probably very good. Joe was an interesting character, known for his love of long rifles. He and my FIL wrote a noted book on long rifles. I think I still have 2 copies of the book. He had an interesting relationship with the IRS!

 

USHIP is the way to go for antique furniture, been using them for around 10 years now. Small operators, you deal directly the the driver/carrier, they pick it up & blanket wrap, deliver to your door, it doesn't get any better than that.