Help needed to ID antique rocking chair.

I've got this rocker that I can't seem to find anything about online. I've seen arts and crafts rockers that are kind of the same, but not quite as ornate.

I believe this was my great-grandmother's chair, but don't have any idea how long it's been in the family, or where it came from.

My mother, against all of my protests, had the thing refurbished, and the lady who did the work said the original cushion was stuffed with horse hair. I've posted pictures below. The chair once had a lovely, almost black patina going on, but my mom wanted it scrubbed clean, re-stained and a new cushion made.

Thanks in advance for your help! I love the chair, just would love to know more.

 

This is a barley twist rocker probably a Jacobean Revival style. Jacobean style was much earlier say 1600's or so but there was a great interest in the late 1800's.It is oak and in pretty good condition.

 

Thanks, Lorraine! In my google search, I can totally see the style. The back splat and the bumps (don't know the term) on the arms are things I've never seen before.

 

It almost looks like someone added the carving later. The barley twist and the chip carving don't seem to go together; it looks almost Scandinavian. The barley twist meanwhile is English in origin. I'm betting the chair was made around 1910 as a mashup piece, where the maker took a piece of this and a bit of that, design-wise.

 

This is interesting, and come to think of it, the feel of the wood supporting the cushion, the rockers and the four plain splats is a bit different than that of the barley twists, and ornate parts. The barley twists and ornate parts feel more dense.

 

I'm thinking it had a dark finish and a leather seat?

 

I think it is a circa 1900 transitional piece to the arts and crafts style. That carving does look Scandinavian so that could be a source for this but would say, otherwise, English. I doubt the carving was added later.

 

p.s. Looks like a similar Cherry desk in the background that I have as well from my wife's side. LOL

 

I was trying to find info on a rocker and straight back chair similar to yours - cut of oak, barley scrolls on arms not back, carvings on top of back and seat but not up the back, also dark stain, horse hair and leather seat and back pad. I was told it was late 1880's and part of Art & Craft era/style. Wish I knew more too.

 

1880s is a bit early for most arts and crafts furnishings. The seminal work in England dates from then but the hey-day of the style was the early part of the 20th century.

 

On the other paw, this piece looks like a mishmash of styles, so who knows. The shape is arts and crafts, but the barley twist is Jacobean revival and the floral carving ...dunno, but probably even further back.

 

Agrees, it was not unusual for late victorians to combine 2 or 3 style elements in the same piece.

 

I follow Jack Plane's blog, a retired antique trades guy from england and according to Jack

"In the Victorian era, middle- and upper classes prospered and many wealthy profligate gentlemen who, with nothing better to occupy their time, thought it amusing to roll up their starched white shirt sleeves, in imitation of the working class, and recklessly carve anything and everything around the home in the then fashionable Elizabethan and Jacobean revival taste."

For photos of this vicobethan & vicobean carving up of really nice 18th century english furniture.........it's rather hideous, BE WARNED!

https://pegsandtails.wordpress.com/2014/11/29/picture-this-xxxix/

 

Some of the carving is rather cool, but it doesn't belong where they put it.

 

UHHHHHHHHH, NOOOOOOOO, it doesn't, basically destroyed the value of really nice furniture. I like reading Jack, he has that very dry english/irish wit, in describing that gateleg table he notes "they missed the inside of the rails" as every other square inch of the table had been carved.

I don't think posters chair had later carving, more likely transitional piece as Brad says and several styles all rolled into one.

 

That Chippendale style secretary was criminal. The carving would have been wonderful if it had been a contemporary plain piece they'd gingered up. But that one...arggggh!