I'm also a fan of Victorian wicker and own a nice Heywood-Wakefield chair in natural finish and two huge "peacock" painted wicker chairs that I keep out on the front porch. I like having variety in my antique collection and decorative wicker is oftentimes a niche that people don't explore or avoid altogether. Wicker gets a bad rap due to what has been made in the last 20-30 years, but the product from the Victorian era is a different animal altogether. It's hard, however, to find pieces in good condition.
This chair above is currently for sale on Ebay starting at $450 and is located in Daytona, FL. What's amazing is the condition of this piece, down to the original label underneath: "W. F. Whitney & Co. South Ashburnham Mass." The seat caning is not broken through as many of these are. Certainly a nice example. Bidding ends February 3rd.
eBay Antiques No. 180
1890s Victorian Wicker Chair in Excellent Natural Condition
I'm also a fan of Victorian wicker and own a nice Heywood-Wakefield chair in natural finish and two huge "peacock" painted wicker chairs that I keep out on the front porch. I like having variety in my antique collection and decorative wicker is oftentimes a niche that people don't explore or avoid altogether. Wicker gets a bad rap due to what has been made in the last 20-30 years, but the product from the Victorian era is a different animal altogether. It's hard, however, to find pieces in good condition.
This chair above is currently for sale on Ebay starting at $450 and is located in Daytona, FL. What's amazing is the condition of this piece, down to the original label underneath: "W. F. Whitney & Co. South Ashburnham Mass." The seat caning is not broken through as many of these are. Certainly a nice example. Bidding ends February 3rd.
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Yes that is a lovely example of a Victorian wicker chair, however most likely the cane seat was replaced at some time. Chairs of this era normally had a close-woven cane seat insert instead of the open weave octagon pattern sheet cane that is in there now.
The theory was that the close-woven cane (without holes), did not detract from the fancy beadwork, scroll work and other embellishments as does the open weave cane seat.
This style was a very popular one and I've restored many of this same design and pattern over the years. It's also listed in the Heywood-Brothers & Wakefield Company Classic Wicker Furniture calalog from 1898 that Dover published in 1982. It has a new introduction by Richard Saunders, by the way. Excellent resource book!
The Wicker Woman-Cathryn Peters-Angora, MN
http://www.WickerWoman.com
http://wickerwoman.blogspot.com
Why would it have a label from another manufacturer? My understanding is that Whitney did indeed manufacture and not just retail but not sure.