My personal spindle Hell.

Thank you, yes, that's why I mentioned mine is "like" those.

 

I'm sorry, I don't see the resemblance.

A Savonarola chair can have any kind of decoration. Yours happens to have a face, but so do many. Others have a north wind mask, and yet others have a crest, or simply floral carving.
The range of designs is vast, but there are no sub-categories, they are all Savonarola chairs.

 

Really hard to say what the wood is. Could be something like birch with a red stain to mimic mahogany. I think birch spindles with a mahogany stain would work quite well with this regardless of what the wood really is.

The face on the chair looks more Roman or Grecian to my eye. Classical inspiration for sure.

 

Thank you for those details. I am so intrigued by this piece that you guys would not believe it.

 

It’s really interesting. I can’t find anything that has the same kinds of very heavy paws, fairly thin (?) spindles and a classical-looking head in the back.

You got a good deal, methinks! (Not knowing anything about the antique furniture market at the moment…) The crack in the middle might need to be stabilized, too. In the seller’s photos, it looks like it might extend into the seat.

Edited for clarity.

 

Re: dowel method-I think that is your best bet. It takes skill, experience, and excellent tools to get it right. Two YouTube artisans that I follow do this kind of work all the time, and both are formally trained in furniture making and refurbishing. Crigun, DE, and AT Restoration, Lithuania. They make it look like a snap, but it is not. Watch these guys-because they are great!-then take the chair to an expert.