Featured Model Hoop-Back Windsor Chair, Signed: Exquisite!

The high craft evident in this chair is, for me, simply stunning. Every detail shows profound understanding of methods, materials and tools, and each piece had to be scaled from a standard sized chair, a formidable task in itself. It is 12" high at the back, 7 3/4" across the armrests, and the front of the seat is 5 3/8" high. I'm not familiar with doll-house furniture ratios, but seriously doubt this chair was intended for that use.

There are 19 wedged joints in it, 24 turned spindles, and that one-piece steam-bent hoop that includes the armrests; by my crude reckoning it would be about 19 inches long if laid straight. The seat is deeply sculpted; I'm sure it would be a deliciously comfortable sit. The chair weighs only 210 grams, ~7 1/2 ounces. I'm the son of a very accomplished wood-butcher, but this would have been entirely beyond Dad's patience.

I've spent some time trying to find any information on the maker, Paul Thode (if I read it correctly)...no joy. And, during my search of Windsors, I saw not a single one of this pattern. I've called a hoop-back, but that is probably an inaccurate, and perhaps incomplete, descriptor. Those of you familiar with furniture, Windsor chairs in particular, please correct my sublime ignorance. Thanks for lookin'!

 

I suspect a very very talented hobby carpenter made that. And took months over it.

 

I'm suggesting, not for a doll HOUSE, but probably for a special DOLL!!??? But it also looks like it was never put to use? No 'finish' looks to be on it.........what a beautiful test of patience it IS!!!

 

It has what looks an' feels like an oil finish...but could be dead-flat urethane for all I know about such. And you're right, there's zero evidence of use.

 

I found this mention of Paul Thode from 2010.

"The woodturning community just lost our friend, Paul Thode, who was the master of 1/3 scale furniture. "

https://ridgewaystudios.org/?m=201010

 

This is actually a fairly common american windsor chair style, called a braced-back continuous-arm armchair. When I say "common", I should say it is common in the reproduction market, but less often seen as a period chair. This style was popular in New York (especially New York city) and also in New England, but not made south of there. There were apparently lots made, but the continuous arm is a weak point and a lot of the surviving examples have repairs because of that (and a lot more probably discarded over the centuries when they broke).

Yours looks to be a model of a New York chair, with the exception of the knuckle handholds and the turned spindles, both of which would have been unusual in New York. Below is a pic of a period chair I own, also likely from New York, probably made late 18th century same as your model's original. Currently hanging in my basement with lots of other period windsors and other 18th century chairs; this one due to loose repairs to the continuous arm. Hopefully at some point I will get into it this one to make repairs and promote it out of the basement.

 

Apparently there is an article about Paul "Doc" Thode in an issue of American Woodturner Fall 2009.

I found mention of his name here in American Woodturner index.


https://issuu.com/aawwebmaster/docs/awindex_12_09




Then found an Ebay listing open to the content page of the magazine issue.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1754783906...=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

What a treasure . It screams craftsmanship.

 

And then I found a PDF with him in an article showing him and some of his works!!! WHAT a CRAFTSMAN!!!! If it were mine, I'd be keeping it!!!!

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Superb-big & little chairs.Jeff you have quite a basement.

 

Amazing craftsmanship!

 

Yeah...and I have, since about 2005...but the majority of my treasures have gotta go! I'm runnin' outta time for divestiture of literally thousands of keepers. The kids don't share my enthusiasm for most of my sweet objet's d' art...so even selling them at pennies on the dollar is better than the alternative, probably a 10 yard dumpster parked in the driveway after I croak. It's not an ideal situation...an' I'll perhaps not succeed, but they'll be glad...an' I gotta try. I never thought it'd be like this, but that's my reality...sigh.

 

I think there are some of us here who might be feeling like we are in similar boats!!! Time to start dealing with moving some of our 'collectibles' along!!!

 

Whit-Re:'the majority of my treasures have gotta go!'...exactly Our problem.The Kid's will shovel it all into a dumpster once we've croaked.
It's either Ebay (much as we hate it),or be humiliated by local dealers.We've been 'deaccesing' for years-I quit buying for almost 10 yrs but still have stuff !
* The Best of the Best (the 1%) always nets a premium,trouble is you rarely find it in some boot for pennies...the billionaires keep all the good stuff.