HELP - Need Help With Old Chair

[2x4misc]

I purchased a chair from an estate sale a couple weeks ago.  It is a semi-folding chair wood chaor with neat carvings, leather back and seat that was said to come from a castle in Holland and is 18th c period piece. I bought it cause I liked it but my curiosity has got the best and I need an opinion from a more knowledgeable person. I have provided links to 6 pictures for you to review.  I really really appreciate anything you all can tell me about this chair..

- Ray

http://www.2x4misc.com/images/chair_001.jpg
http://www.2x4misc.com/images/chair_002.jpg
http://www.2x4misc.com/images/chair_003.jpg
http://www.2x4misc.com/images/chair_004.jpg
http://www.2x4misc.com/images/chair_005.jpg
http://www.2x4misc.com/images/chair_006.jpg"

[talesofthesevenseas]

These are called "Savonarola Chairs" if you enter that into Google images, you can see a lot of them. It is a design that has been around for centuries, so it might be quite difficult to date without some kind of provenance, especially on this end, going by photos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-chair

Did you get any kind of documentation with it? The leather looks to be in awfully good shape to be 200 years old, but it could have been replaced or very well cared for.

I also don't see a whole lot of age on the brass fasteners that are securing the leather to the chair. Sometimes people say "18th century" when they mean "1800's" (19th century) so it is possible that it might have been a miscommunication.

[matty77]

One of the coolest chair styles I've ever seen.  Tales, you're the Man (or Woman - I don't know) - I would have never found the proper name.  I was searching for a variation of a saddle chair!  Thank you!

[2x4misc]

Hey Tales - thanks for the information!! I did not get any documentation - just a story  but I bought it cause it was great looking.  The leather is thick like a horse saddle and you are right about the brass fasteners - that cause me concern when they said is was from 18 c. - not sure those kind of fasteners were around in the 1700's. So you are thinking it is more from the 1800's? Maybe later 1800's?

Thanks again so much for this conversation.

Ray

[jbmbburns]

You can get in the Antiques Roadshow website and click on appraisers....then you can narrow down your search by area of expertise.....click on the appraiser and it will show you there email address... Send them your photos and see what they say....good luck!!

[talesofthesevenseas]

I'm a girl Matty, hmmm... I guess I had better change my profile pic!

I really don't have the expertise to make a call on this one, these chairs aren't something I'm familiar with. Maybe one of the others can help...

[2x4misc]

As information, I thought I would share the response I received from allexperts.com about the chair:

"This is a 19th century X chair probably made in Belgium or France between 1880 to 1890 when the Renaissance revival  style was popular, it is inspired from the Italian Renaissance  folding chair know as a Savonarola or Dante chair. These type of chairs exist in large numbers and was reproduced throughout the 20th century. Yours is a nice quality example and can be purchased for around $150 to $300 dollars."

If I can help anyone out with autograph opinions and political ephemera, let me know.

Thanks to all and have a great Thanksgiving!
-Ray

[matty77]

Sorry Tales!  I need to pay more attention to those things!

[mart]

Sounds like Tales was spot on with this one !! Good call Tales !!  I haven`t got to see it yet since download time is long !!

As information, I thought I would share the response I received from allexperts.com about the chair:

"This is a 19th century X chair probably made in Belgium or France between 1880 to 1890 when the Renaissance revival  style was popular, it is inspired from the Italian Renaissance  folding chair know as a Savonarola or Dante chair. These type of chairs exist in large numbers and was reproduced throughout the 20th century. Yours is a nice quality example and can be purchased for around $150 to $300 dollars."

If I can help anyone out with autograph opinions and political ephemera, let me know.

Thanks to all and have a great Thanksgiving!
-Ray

We may need your expertise sometime !! Thanks

[snowflake]

Good call, Tales!

[2x4misc]

Thanks Tales - you are the "Lady" !!!!