Pre-20th Century Chair- "A" Signature/Identification

"A" Signature by Rdvlvic posted Mar 7, 2022 at 11:12 AM

Chair Detail by Rdvlvic posted Mar 7, 2022 at 11:12 AM

Pre 20th Century Chair by Rdvlvic posted Mar 7, 2022 at 11:12 AM

I am having a hard time identifying the style of this chair and making out the signature on the bottom. It looks like there is an "A" signed in pencil that is adjacent/connected to the "A" signed in paint.

Any info would be great.

 

Rough guess 1890-1910 or thereabouts. No idea who did it. It looks like there's a piece missing from the top.

 

The chair seems to be missing the crest rail of the back. Do you have it?

Frankly I didn't vote because I am more inclined to early 20th century which is not a choice

 

Here is a similar chair with top rail on the back and cane seat.


https://www.etsy.com/listing/109863...m=3e1b412b&ref=user_profile&pro=1&frs=1&sts=1

 

So there is no piece missing. It just has high ears which seems to be pretty unique. & the corner pieces where the arm rest should be are unusual too. What makes you think 1890-1910?

 

Why say "there is no piece missing" when pictures show the opposite?

 

there is no crest rail and there is no evidence that shows that is missing a rail. It just has really high ears. What makes you think 20th century? I was thinking it is older since it is constructed with dowels & saw marks are evident throughout.

 

I said "early" 20th C - matching the 1910 top of range posted by another member.

And it SHOULD have a crest rail and I base that on ownership of similar chairs as well as 50 years of interest in antique furniture

 

@verybrad Your thoughts please?

 

I'm no @verybrad , but I hope my inadequate knowledge may shine some light on the situation.

This is clearly an Eastlake-period walnut side chair ca. 1890-1910. If it never had a top rail then it's some kind of factory second and was purchased originally because it was cheap. If it did have a top rail then it's clearly missing now. Worth maybe $10.00 at auction in my part of the Midwestern U.S.

Looks like another new member digging themselves into an untenable situation. I predict they will disappear shortly, perhaps after telling us how stupid and rude we are.

 

Maybe post-Eastlake? so 1910 seems right. Hard to tell from the pic but there doesn't seem to be any sign of a mortise for a top rail.

 

I have been a member for a little while now. While the passive aggressive statements and notes are annoying, they are still entertaining. I joined to learn. And there is no evidence of a top rail so the idea that it is a factory second seems likely.

 

I agree, there is no sign that there was a top rail. What makes you think east lake? I really like east lake, but this didn't give off an east lake vibe to me.

 

It doesn't have any evident of a crew

There was no crest rail.

Chair Ear by Rdvlvic posted Mar 8, 2022 at 8:24 AM

 

I think what people are suggesting is that there probably was a crest rail at one point that is no longer there. It wouldn't be difficult to alter a chair in such a manner and end up with a chair of proportions like yours.

(I've thought of lopping the top off some of my ladder back chairs so I doubt I was the first person to think of it.)

example.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1134457863/antique-eastlake-cane-bottom-wood-chair?click_key=74a94c9697e2d69849c75b767e4a582323b1b974:1134457863&click_sum=8203cf1d&ref=search_recently_viewed-1&sts=1

 

I can see what you are talking about. It doesn't change the fact that there is no evidence of a missing crest rail.. so who ever might have removed it did a good job. Nonetheless, I am still interested in learning more about different clues to identify the age of a chair. Ie: when you saw a picture of it, what specific detail clued you that it was an eastlake? I am always used to seeing Eastlakes with the straight edges.

 

It does look to me like the crest rail was lopped off and the remaining "stubs" were curved/sanded/stained. Quite possibly even done not too long after manufacture, and a way to make a broken chair remain useful. JMHO.

 

Think the others have covered this pretty adequately. SIS has posted some great examples of what this should look like. Agree that someone did a good job of cutting this down. Maybe to be used as a vanity chair?.... or just to salvage one with a damaged top. I do think late 19th century. By 1900, this would have seemed a bit old fashioned and walnut was not being used as much.