Random rocking chair

This chair seems like it might be a bit old. Mom said to sell it but I wanted to make sure it wasn't worth a fortune before I toss it up on craigslist.

 

Looks like maple from the 1950s to 1970s. Not worth a fortune, but people do like rocking chairs.

 

I agree looks like a maple rocker from the 70s.
Not terribly expensive. Rockers aren't as popular as they were a few years back.
$35-50 here in CA

 

If I had five bucks, I would bet that that is a piece by Ethan Allen............

 

Thanks! I'm in California too so I'll price it at that.

 

I'm throwing on with Manson! Ethan Allen! And in that blonde color, more 50s-ish?

 

Probably - the maple and light pine "colonial" finishes were popular until the late 1960s when the dark pine made its appearance..............please do NOT ask me why I know so much about Ethan Allen colonial style furniture.............please........

 

If it is Ethan Allen, maybe start on the higher side. You can always negotiate down.

 

Nice photo's Earl !

 

Thanks!

 

Uh, why do you know so much about Ethan Allen colonial style furniture?

 

It's currently stacked up high in the garage but would there be a hallmark or stamp that I should be looking for?

 

Found this on ebay:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Eth...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Definitely looks pretty similar, especially with the jutting-out part at the back.

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

Hot wheels, you beat me to finding Ethan Allen chairs like this rocker. I'll tell what I found anyways. I have the original Ethan Allen catalogs for 1974 and 1983. The 1974 catalog has this style chair calling them Duxbury Fiddlebacks. Only side and arm chairs are pictured. They are part of their Heritage Collection "in a clear Nutmeg brown finish." For the life of me can't find the wood. The turnings on the legs, stretchers and fiddle-back look identical. Their item numbers are 10-6020 and 10-6020A (page 139). The supplement in the back of the catalog only lists the Duxbury side and arm chairs. No listing for a Duxbury rocker. I found an old auction that doesn't have the pics online anymore for a side chair 10-6020 saying it was maple. They were asking $199.99. It never sold.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ethan-Allen-Heirloom-Nutmeg-Maple-Fiddle-Back-Duxbury-Chair-10-6020-/190837608516?nma=true&si=hxT3WUD5vmk%2FIuhHNWQyH5%2Fk8uc%3D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The 1983 catalog has pictured Duxbury side and arm chairs but the curve of the top rail is slightly different. In this catalog they are in the Antique Pine Collection.

--- Susan

BTW, I haven't been able to find an Ethan Allen Duxbury rocker anywhere on the web or in any of my Ethan Allen literature. Just because this rocker looks identical to the EA Duxbury side and arm chairs in the pictures isn't a guarentee this is by EA.

 

Another BTW, the EA chairs you found in your link have different top rails they have scrolls at each end of the top rail and the spindles in the middle of the back have turnings while the spindles in the middle of your rocker are plain.

--- Susan

 

While Ethan Allen made rockers like this, so did many other companies. It is a reproduction of a comb-back Windsor rocker with some liberties in design. Here is an example that is correct in period design details.

 

It's actually a pretty nice rocker. I kind of want to keep it for myself...

 

It took a while to remember where in this maze this chair is, but I finally found it. The differences in the top rail and on some turnings are obvious, but it does have the the routed groove in the seat which did not show up in the photos.................please forgive the dust. I am collecting it for charity.................

Final deduction - probably not Ethan Allen.....................sorry!

PS - did someone mention that this is commonly known as a Duxbury chair? Not certain if the name would apply to a rocker as well.................


EDIT: I see that Duxbury was mentioned - sorry to be redundant...........

 

I was surprised that Ethan Allen referred to this style chair in their supplement as fiddleback. I would have called them Windsor fan-back or like Brad said Windsor comb-back. Between you, me and the fence post, I haven really ever heard of a "Duxbury" chair. Wonder if Ethan Allen only made up a fantasy name of Duxbury. I'm not sure if the old town of Duxbury, MA (settled in the 1620s not far from Plymouth) may have been noted as a furniture making town? I do know Boston, Salem, Gardner, Manchester and a few others were noted for their early furniture.

--- Susan

 

I did a little looking for origins of the name "Duxbury chair." I have not found a lot. For example, this article mentions them but a footnote at the end references an auction notice of 1988:
http://www.chipstone.org/article.ph...sor-Chairmaking-in-Early-Federal-Rhode-Island

I did find an digital version of a 1916 book in Project Gutenberg that has a drawing of a Duxbury chair a little way down the page. Use Ctrl-F to find it.
http://gutenberg.polytechnic.edu.na/4/4/7/5/44750/44750-h/44750-h.htm

The Ethan Allen company was founded in 1932, so this at least indicates that they did not make up the name.