I have mentioned dealer sophistry before, but specious descriptions of antique furniture are sadly becoming ever more prevalent (I will save a discussion on the possible reasons for another time).
The vendor of the Windsor chair in figure 1 described it as originating in Pennsylvania and being made of hickory and maple.
Fig. 1. A mid-eighteenth-century Windsor chair.
The chair is clearly and irrefutably of English design and the timbers employed are ash and elm (figs. 2, 3 & 4).
Jack Plane
You’re too diplomatic. The seller’s description is outright fraudulent.
LikeLike
I’m always curious when a description is so far off, I wonder if it’s malicious, or ignorance?
LikeLike
Jack – Always a Great Education.
Merry Christmas, Kevin
LikeLike
Wow, thank you for Figure 3. That clearly shows what I didn’t know about the construction of the arm rail.
LikeLiked by 1 person
See also here.
JP
LikeLike
Me too!, it shows the spindles pinned to the arm rail, something I’ve wondered about in this style of chair but never seen before.
LikeLike
Jack you are a brave man to name the timbers from these images. I cant see the grain to make proper deduction. I know there is a big difference financially if you can say a piece is American rather than British. I have found when I find one rare Colonial America piece with history and important connection the expert world goes very quiet and will not talk to you even when you offer them the full research with timber/ finish analysis and clear evidence to other know piece should open those door but sadly NO. Opinion of those with access to a platform win above those who work on the evidence. My reason for bring this up is that the piece of furniture looks English at first glance then it all goes down hill when you dig. But I found the British models reproduced in Colonial America need double checking as the America experts say by try to fit items into boxes where not everything is so black and white.
LikeLike