Tell me about my three-legged chair

[bbtexan]

Any guesses as to the age and origin of this chair?  I've read that they usually had solid seats which were often replaced with rush.  Thanks!

[mariok54]

Take a look at these .... Some others here are quite hot on furniture so may be able to help you

http://www.popularwoodworking.com/articleindex/arts-mysteries-three-legged-turned-chair

http://www.bodgers.org.uk/bb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=440

[jacon4]

Looks to be a 19th century copy of a 17th century turners chair. Turners built these in the 17th century to show off their skill as turners, often called a "carpenter's conceit" chair. I dont think your example is period though.

[mariok54]

No sooner said, than a hot one turns up in jacon4. And thanks for that info, I've seen these in the past, but never quite understood them.
Even being a 19th copy, are they sought after?

[mart]

https://www.google.com/search?q=three+legged+corner+chair+with+rush+seat&btnG=%3CSPAN+class%3Dsbico+style%3D%22DISPLAY%3A+block%3B+BACKGROUND%3A+url%28%2Fimages%2Fnav_logo176.png%29+no-repeat+-20px+-111px%3B+WIDTH%3A+13px%3B+HEIGHT%3A+14px%22%3E%3C%2FSPAN%3E&hl=en&gbv=2&oq=three+leg+Corner+chair+with+rush+seat&gs_l=heirloom-serp.1.0.30i10.86230.95190.0.101610.31.19.0.0.0.0.2360.2360.9-1.1.0.msedr...0...1ac.1.34.heirloom-serp..30.1.2360.chEh7HFFh_4

I never figured why anyone would put a chair in the corner anyway !!  Many of these were made around 1850 to about 1910 !!  Victorian Revival !!
As with the saddle seat chairs I found them difficult to sell !! They are more of a conversation piece than a usable piece of furniture !!  The rush seat looks original from what I can see !! Solid seats and rush were common !!

[bbtexan]

Thanks for the replies.  What's the tip-off that this is a 19th century copy of an earlier chair?  It looks to have been well used because the darker wood is worn to a lighter warm color where someone's legs rubbed against the bottom support and at the arms and back.  That's why I figured it might be older.  Here's another view.

[mart]

You would need to have someone do a hands on look that is experienced in the period construction methods !! I honestly do not see enough wear to date it older than what I stated above !! Jacon4 is the best we have on early american/colonial methods and styles !!  My area is 1850 to 1980 !! After 1980 everything looks the same so no need to bother with it !!
You might get him to take a second look !!  Really hard to tell much from pics !!  We just have to go by what we can see !!

[KC]

Looks Victorian.  Have always heard these referred to as a Spindle 3-legged Corner Chair.

Mart, I am a weirdo that puts chairs in the corner when not needed around the table! 

Back when you didn't have as large of homes, your would clear the center are for living space and move items out of the way.  Corner chairs were excellent to help with this!   

[jacon4]

What's the tip-off that this is a 19th century copy of an earlier chair?

The turnings are to thin on the 3 central posts, in the 17th century they would have been much thicker, massive in fact, so thick a man could not touch his fingers on the central posts, 2 inches in diameter or more. These chairs did have function in the 1600s as floors were not even/level to say the least, often just packed earth so 3 legs would have been useful on uneven floors/dirt.

[jacon4]

lets try a pic of a period mid 1600s turners chair

[mart]

Looks Victorian.  Have always heard these referred to as a Spindle 3-legged Corner Chair.

Mart, I am a weirdo that puts chairs in the corner when not needed around the table! 

Back when you didn't have as large of homes, your would clear the center are for living space and move items out of the way.  Corner chairs were excellent to help with this!   

LOL !!  I don`t think I have an empty corner !! 

[jacon4]

Even being a 19th copy, are they sought after?

Uhhhh, noooo, not really. A period english example would do well to bring 2-3k so not exactly "hot" in the market these days. Now turned 17th century "Brewster" or "Carver" chairs are very expensive if american, american being the key word here.

[jacon4]

Carver chair, less fancy, much fewer spindles

[jacon4]

Now that i have gone completely round the bend on turned 17th century chairs, there is 1 american chair that  was attributed to Charleston SC and thought to be built by french Huguenot's in 1680 or so. This chair was sold at Christies in 1998 for 288k. MESDA has recently done research  on this chair and now attributes this chair to Virginia & built much earlier, 1640 or earlier, which could pre-date the "brewster & carver" chairs at Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth Mass.  Oh dear, don't tell whats her name thats lives in Plymouth!
The fact is, anything of a furniture nature that was built in the 17th century in america is very rare and almost always very expensive to buy.

[jacon4]

Another tip off that posters chair is a copy is, if you look at top crest of chair, you can see that it is rotary cut oak, in a period chair, the oak would be riven (split).