How old is this rocking chair?

I thought this was older, as in maybe antique but I found a repair on one of the rockers and it looks like veneer. Veneer made me think 1930s or 40s but that's just my wild guess. Thank you!

 

Hi Mill Cove,
Veneers have been around for a long long time. I had a George III chest with veneers on the drawer fronts.
greg

 

Thanks Greg, I didn't realize that.

 

A Victorian lady's rocker with low arms or armless to accommodate the big hoopskirts. Timeframe might possibly be 1860s-c1890?? It has a couple of hand carved leaves? on the top rail. Some might refer to it as a Ladies Lincoln rocker; however, not sure if that is correct. Do wait for others more knowledgeable in woods, etc... to chime in on age, etc...

--- Susan

 

Thank you Susan. I thought it was odd that the front of the seat seemed wider than other rockers I've had. I'm off to look at Lincoln Rockers.

 

I think Susan is spot on. 1890 might be a tad late. I would think 1880 or a bit earlier. Looks to be Walnut. The basic form is a Lincoln rocker but those low arms are not typical ...... thus the ladies designation. The repair is not showing veneer. The wood split along the grain and you are seeing the fine edge of the end-grain where it meets the surface at an angle. A good repair would glue it solidly and sand it smooth to the point where it would be virtually invisible.

 

Thank you Brad. I was surprised when I found the repair because I thought it was solid wood and it looked like missing veneer to me. I will have to take a closer look at it tomorrow so I can really tell the difference if I come across something like this in the future. I guess I should trust my initial instinct.

 

Veneers actually go back to Ancient Egypt!

They're useful for dating furniture sometimes - generally, a very thin veneer is later, as it's machine cut. Hand cut veneers are thicker.

I agree with brad that this is a split you're seeing. I'd probably not repair it - I like history on things. If I saw that here, I'd think late 19th.

 

"Freckles" by Gene Stratton Porter describes the industry in Indiana and Michigan.