First of all, thanks for all the kind words and the welcome aboard! They are very much appreciated!
A few more pictures are posted below - hopefully these get all the requested perspectives and views in there. And yes, the design on the back is an inlay. I added a shot of one of the back legs - it fuses into the body of the chair, as the picture shows.
As to the story - I purchased this chair in Winston-Salem, NC about 10 years ago from a dealer. The only thing she told me was that it was owned by an older gentleman in town who had passed away, and that his brother was selling off his antique collection. Beyond that, I don't know much other than I bought it because I'd never seen a chair quite like it before.
So any feedback as to its origin and manufacturer is definitely appreciated.