Side Chair in Photo - Strange Back Splat Design

This chair is in a studio portrait printed on an RPPC estimated to date from 1907 - 1914 and probably taken in the US. I posted the full portrait on another thread. The chair has back detail I have never seen and would appreciate your thoughts on what you would call this detail, where it might have originated, etc.

The subject of the portrait appears to be very tall (for a woman) but some of that impression may come from the fact that the top of the chair back is below her waist and the height of the seat (not visible) is probably somewhere around or below her knees. I'm guessing oak for the primary wood.

 

That is a strange one. I would have to think some kind of arts and crafts period variation. There were hundreds (thousands?) of furniture makers at this time working in the style and they were trying to distinguish themselves from each other .... sometimes in strange ways.

 

Thanks for looking, Brad. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks it's "strange."

What kind of time frame would you estimate? Near (or before) the early part of the range for the photo?

 

I think you are right in the hey-day for this type of furniture. Not too many American makers in it before 1905 and most were out by 1920.

 

Very good. I really appreciate you sharing your expertise!

 

Can we see the whole photo? It almost looks like a normal oak chair had this peacock tail addition stuck on after the fact.

 

Bev, the photo is in the "show us your antique photos" thread.

 

Post 182 in that thread shows the entire picture. There is nothing more of the chair visible than what I showed here.

 

I still like the gloves & think they are driving gloves.

 

Peacock and after the fact addition - very astute observations, Bev.

 

Susan: last night on the Antiques Roadshow there was a chair which, according to the Keno fellow, was made to look like a serpent. Coming on top of seeing your peacock chair...well, I am looking for a third weird one!

Incidentally, I had not looked at the photography thread for ages, but I had to check out the lady's portrait. It's rather confusing. The hat is the ultimate in Easter bonnets and not suitable for driving -- practically or stylishly. The clothing, however, is -- well-tailored and suitable for walking or wearing under the dust coats of the day worn while driving. The gloves are a conundrum!

I vaguely recall that there used to be a fad for a while for wearing gloves with contrasting stitching. I think they were French...and I have no idea in which book I read this. Even so, one plans the clothing for such a portrait, and the combination in this one is just...odd.

 

I see a lot of photo's of women in early cars wearing big hats.
At 10 miles an hour the hat wasn't going anywhere....& back then cars were a good reason to put on your sunday best.