Furniture reference
Chair
Archive trail for individual chairs, side chairs, armchairs, and named maker seating examples.
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61 archive posts.
Showing the first 12 — every matching post is on this page below.
The Rare Victorian Store Launches
It's high time I selectively whittle my Victorian antique collection down as I have bought and bought and ran out of space to put it all in. Therefore, the Rare Victorian Antiques Store has been born! I will be adding mo
Mystery Cincinnati Furniture Manufacturer
A Rare Victorian reader contacted me about a chair that they have below with a badly damaged label, but a label nonetheless. It is clearly from a Cincinnati cabinetmaker (or retailer), but the question is: Which one? It
Emily Dickinson Gothic Revival Chair Mystery
I was contacted by someone who was curious if the Rare Victorian community could take a look at this newly found, rare photo of Emily Dickinson. It was previously believed that there was only one of her in existence, but
J & JW Meeks Hawkins Pattern Parlor Sets For Sale
Offered for sale are two J & JW Meeks Hawkins Pattern parlor sets. Each has a settee, arm and sidechair, or they can be combined into a single six-piece suite. One of the settees requires reupholstering. I can put in
Additional Photos of Rago's "Tiffany Style" Chairs
I know that many were interested in the "Tiffany Chairs" in the recent Rago Arts and Auction sale from the 1880/1890 Aesthetic Movement period which sold for $390,400. An outright attribution has not been made, however,
John Henry Belter Cornucopia Sidechair
This Belter Cornucopia chair is seeing action from 8 bidders on Ebay at the moment with 2 days left to go. Currently bid to less than $1,000, these chairs can command $4,000-$6,000 at auction. This variation appears to b
George Hunzinger Lounge Chair
George Hunzinger furniture fans will probably be interested to see this chair design by him based on the 1869 brace patent. This is not a common form and I personally haven't seen one in the past. You can see the chair w
J & JW Meeks "Stanton Hall" Chair
Currently at $202.50 and originally described as a chair made by Belter, this Meeks Stanton Hall chair is seeing some early bidding due to the low starting price and no reserve. These chairs will hit $800 to $1500 at auc
Carlo Bugatti - A Century Ahead Of His Time
Carlo Bugatti's Art Nouveau furniture designs look more like they were designed for Batman's home than for the homes of the turn of the 19th century when they were made (the firescreen above was is circa 1900). Paul Tuck
Stanford White Parlor Set Mystery
Usually when I do these antique Victorian furniture posts I post an image or so and accompany it with the brief research that I have done. I'm going to do it backwards this time. I am posting the image first without havi
Belter Bidding War
This video is from a 2006 Antiques Roadshow video appraisal done on this pair of John Henry Belter scroll pattern armchairs where the buyer paid $7,000 for them - a result of a heated bidding war where the thrill got the
Robert Mitchell High-Back Arm Chair #66-1337 A
I knew eventually that this chair would turn up and it finally has. This is the Robert Mitchell High-back Arm Chair from his ca. 1902 catalog, model #66-1337 A. The "A" designates the Mahogany version of the chair, which
“Hunzinger Chair” Mystery Part III
Sorry if this series of posts is hitting the press slowly, but that is intentional as I am getting new information real-time and I want to be sure that you get it as it rolls in. As we've been exploring in the past two p
"Hunzinger Chair" Mystery Part II
Continuing from where the last post left off,we were trying to determine if an unlabeled chair that Zeke Feldhaus recently purchased was produced by George Hunzinger due to the patent-protected brace design (very bottom
"Hunzinger Chair" Mystery Part I
I hope everyone had a great holiday break as did I, but it's time for us all to get back to normalcy. Let's kick off year 3 of Rare Victorian with a little furniture analysis triggered by a recent series of emails from Z
Victorian Transitional Sidechair - Gothic Revival Meets Rococo Revival
Sometimes in the Victorian era of furniture making, you can see the confluence of two styles in one piece simultaneously as you can see with this sidechair to the right. Both Gothic Revival (spires, arches, crockets) and
George Hunzinger Renaissance Revival Chair
This past weekend saw a pair of these George Hunzinger chairs go for $6,000 at auction and now there is a single chair currently seeing some bidding with six days left in the sale, above. It is currently bid up to $1,825
For The Record: J. W. Hamburger Prince Of Wales Chair
In another installment of "For The Record" on Rare Victorian where I feature the work of low profile makers of the 19th Century, I'm pleased to present what I strongly believe is a Joseph W. Hamburger Prince of Wales cha
Who Made This Chair?
There is museum evidence that helps attribute this chair to two possible makers. Stop by the forum to read about this chair, submitted by a site visitor. I have also added another feature to Rare Victorian - a quick refe
John Henry Belter Child's Chair
I would like to see one of these Belter youth chairs in person. I have a Belter slipper chair and it is diminutive; I can't imagine how tiny these chairs made for children would appear. At 27 3/4" tall, I could almost wa
Kimbel & Cabus Modern Gothic Armchair at Neal Auction
In my opinion, Neal Auction is being a bit conservative in their attribution on this chair. I'm always very appreciative of Neal's condition information and research that they provide with their listing and I feel they a
John Henry Belter "Lincoln" Pattern
I ran into a listing for a Belter "Lincoln" pattern sofa and not having heard of that pattern before, I had to do some research. It happens that Lincoln had several pieces of Belter furniture in the White House during hi
Fine Aesthetic Movement Side Chair
I'm a big fan of all styles and eras of Victorian furniture and my interests even leak into the immediately preceding and following eras. Not wanting this site to be all about Renaissance Revival and Rococo, I'm always o
1857 Bembe & Kimbel U.S. House of Representatives Chair
Rare Victorian is please to offer for sale this original 1857 U.S. House of Representatives chair bearing the original stencil of it's maker, Bembe & Kimbel. It is identical in style to the chair that Abraham Lincoln
Unusual Tin-Clad Victorian Armchair
No this isn't a high-end piece of Victoriana. This chair is "Rare" for another reason - that is not silver paint. This Victorian-era chair is clad completely in Tin and appears to have been done so originally. I've never
Herter Brothers Eye Candy
I thought I'd share two photos of Herter Brothers pieces from my recent Philadelphia Museum of Art trip. You'll have to excuse the photography as it was with a camera that was foreign to me and since the Herters' pieces
Video - Antique Rococo Revival Chair Crest Repair
Some good friends of mine asked for a recommendation on a repair shop and I mentioned to them that Rose Valley Restorations does good work for me, so they brought the chair to me to take in to John Hutchinson. This will
Solid Rosewood Rococo Side Chairs ... from Baltimore
I put a modest absentee bid on a pair of chairs coming up at auction. I knew from looking at the photo above that they were obviously Rococo with a rose on the crest and were pierce-carved. I wanted to go look at them in
Neal Auction to Sell Another 1857 House of Representatives Chair
If you followed the drama of Kathie's chair identification here on Rare Victorian (Part I, II, III, and related posts IV, and V), you might be interested to know that Neal Auction is selling another of these original 185
John Jellif Furniture Prices Dropping or Anomaly?
I will be checking the results of the above attributed John Jelliff 4-piece parlor set after the July 12th Neal Auction sale is over. The 8-piece set that recently sold at Cowan's drew a disappointing $2,600. Maybe there
Bembe & Kimbel Chair In Thaddeus Stevens Bronze Monument
If you followed the recent posts on Kathie's Bembe & Kimbel chair, you might be interested to see the chair as part of a recent bronze monument of Thaddeus Stevens created by George Mummert. I received a note from Ge
The Lengths I Won't Go To...
Guess who is the new owner of one of the chairs in the recent Henkels attribution drama. The lengths I won't go to to make sure Rare Victorian readers get the best information ... In reality, I have been wanting to own o
Side Chair Manufactured by George Henkels?
It always gives me great pleasure to nail down a maker of a piece of furniture that we often see being sold as "attributed to" and be able to turn that into a definite "made by". No further need to attribute this chair t
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery - Part III
Make sure you've read Part I and Part II before proceeding The Two Makers Theory On Friday, I was coming to a conclusion different than where I am today - that a strong possibility existed that Kathie's chair was made by
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery - Part II
Where we left off yesterday in Part I of this story was that I was noticing some differences between Kathie's chair and those that had previously sold at auction. The most prominent difference for me were the shield carv
A Real Rare Victorian Mystery
I get emails from site visitors all the time with items to show me and I enjoy reading the messages and looking at the images that they forward to me. I never tire of Victorian antique eye-candy. This particular message
Merklen Chair Weekend Puzzler Winner
Thanks to all who responded this weekend on the puzzler that I posted on Friday. Above you will find another version of the chair that was pictured and here you will find another version as well. The big differences betw
Herter Brothers or R. J. Horner Satyr and Griffin Chair
I took a breather from Rare Victorian this weekend to attend to important priorities - gambling in Las Vegas. I'm sitting in the Las Vegas airport on the wireless with hours to spare before takeoff so I thought I'd perus
Egyptian Revival Parcel-Ebonized Rosewood Chair
You know I've been reading too many auction listings when fancy-schmancy decorative arts nomenclature like "parcel", meaning partial, ends up in my blog post title. I can't believe it popped into my head. Anyhow, in case
1869 Patent Hunzinger Side Chair With Original Upholstery
I'ts nice to have the drudgery of the blog move done and get back to passing on some of the furniture that I'm running across. If I don't have to deal with another Nameserver for the rest of my life, it will be too soon.
George Hunzinger Side Chair Patent March 30, 1869
I have put up a signed Hunzinger chair for sale on Ebay today and the sale will be running until Sunday March 30th. I have not run across this particular chair of his in pictures or otherwise. I'm particularly fond of th
Another Early John Henry Belter Chair?
Charles, AKA "Peakangus" in the forum, sent me these photos of a Rococo chair that he owns that is possibly a Belter piece. A few characteristics that when combined point to it being by JH Belter: Hollow brass casters La
Bembe & Kimbel U.S. Representatives Chair Reprise
Does this chair look familiar? I did a post (see for more history) on these Bembe & Kimbel U.S. House of Representatives chairs back in May and here's another one coming up for sale. These chairs were used in the Hou
Gothic Revival Armchair
Coming up for auction within striking distance of my SUV is this Gothic Revival armchair ca. 1860. This chair is profiled in "The Big Book of Antique Furniture" by Lindquist (which I find to be a valuable reference for t
A Bevy of Belters
A bunch of John Henry Belter's simpler designs are coming up for auction from Flomaton and Thomaston. I've provided a quick pick list below. There are a few scroll pattern chairs and sofa, a pair of "Rosalie" chairs, and
Charles Boudoine (not Belter) Armchair
Up for Auction is a very nice Rococo Rosewood armchair I will attribute to Charles Boudoine, and I believe incorrectly marked as John Henry Belter for it's auction. In looking at the listing, the "earlobe" carving on the
Jelliff Aficianados, Lend Me Your Thoughts
I picked up this chair at auction that at initial glance reminds me of the overall form that a John Jelliff armchair would have. There's a natural tendency to assume that what you now own is made by the famous maker that
George Hunzinger Signed Side Chair
Ebonized chair made by Hunzinger which was patented by him in 1869. This particular incarnation is ebonized with gold incising, though I have this chair in the natural walnut finish at my home. I wouldn't buy this chair
U.S. Congressional Chair by Bembe and Kimbel
Here's an exciting opportunity to own a piece of American history in the form of Victorian furniture. This chair as well as this desk were made for the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Capitol architect, Thomas Usti
Pair of Hunzinger Lollipop Chairs
It's not unusual to run into a Hunzinger lollipop chair but I haven't run into a matched pair: armchair and rocker. As I write this, the set has been bid up to only $202, though I anticipate them reaching a much higher p
Five John Henry Belter "Henry Clay" pattern chairs
Here's a great opportunity to grab five matching Belter chairs at once for that huge parlor that you have to fill. Only a few more days left on this sale (May 5th ending) so bid soon if you are interested. You can see th
Alexander Roux Chairs with Interesting Provenance
Here's a pair of chairs attributed to Alexander Roux with some exceptional carving and prominent crests. The most interesting aspect of the chairs is their provenance. I've included a bit of the text below, but I would r
John Henry Belter "Rosalie" Parlor Chairs
Here's a beautiful Rosalie-related set of Belter chairs, including the arm chair and 3 side chairs. It appears that this is a Rosalie variation "with grapes". All have reasonably nice matching fabric. It's hard to see if
1886 George Hunzinger Chair
Here's a great George Hunzinger signed chair made of Walnut measuring 32" by 19". Bidding starts at $1,500 with shipping at $109. This auction ends on April 2nd and can be seen here.
Pair of John Henry Belter Rosalie Armchairs
I'm not partial to the yellow fabric but here's a nice pair of Belter Rosalie pattern armchairs with floral and fruit carved frames and molded cabriole arms and legs. Bidding will start at $2,000 with expected range to b
John Henry Belter Armchair Needs a Home
Excuse the humor in the title but since I usually post about extravagant high-end furniture in phenomenal condition, I thought I'd profile a famous-maker piece in need of some TLC. In this case we have a laminated Belter
John Henry Belter Child's Chair
So what does the consummate Belter collector acquire when they thought they had everything covered? Why, a child's chair of course! This laminated rosewood chair has an amazing 28 1/2" height and a diminutive 11" seat he
John Henry Belter "Fountain Elms" Pattern Side Chair
Here is a beautiful rosewood John Henry Belter "Fountain Elms" pattern side chair up for auction for the next few days. I would have blogged about this chair earlier but the pictures on the listing are very dark and don'
John Henry Belter Henry Clay Reference Set Sale Results
In January we profiled the upcoming sale of 7 pieces from the reference set for John Henry Belter's "Henry Clay" pattern here . The sale completed today with hammer prices far exceeding the expected ranges in all cases.
Belter Parlor Furniture - Reference Set for the "Henry Clay" Pattern
Up for auction from St. Charles Galleries, Inc. are 7 pieces of John Henry Belter's "Henry Clay" pattern parlor furniture. The exciting part of this sale is that these pieces are being deaccessioned from "Ashland," The E
Belter and Meeks Chairs
Up for auction are two Belter Rosewood Slipper Chairs similar to the one found on p. 56 of "The Furniture of John Henry Belter and the Rococo Revival" by Schwartz, Stanek, and True. Bidding starts at $3,000 and expected
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