Need help please on my Chairs

[TEZZA53]

Hi, I have a pair of chairs I want to restore, I would like to know more about these chairs,are they English, French, Dutch, German, before I start if anyone could help me identify the approximate age of them and also what type of material and colour they would have been.
   many thanks,
                   Tezza

[Oceans64]

I was hoping someone with more knowledge than I would chime in but you maybe stuck with me  

I cant make out the detail of the carvings. Is it possible to post some close-ups of them? Also close up's of the seat construction (corners) plus the hardware would also be helpful.  Once we have that, we maybe able to narrow down a style then an approximate age.  Once you have an age, determining fabric will be easier.  

Are you planning on selling these?  If so, I would recommend covering in a plain muslin so the new owner can choose the fabric to match their decor and just staple it over the muslin without having to mess with the insides.  

Also...  Welcome to the forum!!!  

[TEZZA53]

Hi Oceans64, thanks for the reply, didn't think anyone was going to answer lol, As requested more pictures of carvings and corner construction + hardware (think screws might have been replaced not sure), hope this will help identify the period of the chairs.

   Best Regards
               Tezza.

[mart]

Are these family pieces or did you purchase them ??  Any history on them ??

[Oceans64]

My first thought is that they have Eastlake type decorations.  Keep in mind I think a lot of highly carved chairs look like Easklake's style that may not be LOL.  What I am looking at are the punched indents in the flower petals and the straight line carvings on the sides of the back of the chair. These sides also extend up and have somewhat of the shape as some Eastlake chairs. Here is a little history on his influence. http://www.drloriv.com/lectures/eastlake.asp  The book referenced is available for free on Google Books.  There are several pics of carvings and you may be able to find this one.

Now my next question....  What is going on at the back of the chair? Specifically below the seat. Another pic from the back maybe helpful. There seems to be alot of support (maybe called rails??)- More than structurally necessary. 

[mart]

The basic form looks Eastlake but legs do not !!  I noticed the stretchers too but I think these are side chairs or hall type chairs rather than dining chairs which might account for the extra support !!

[Oceans64]

Also...  If you looking to reupholster these in a period correct manner, then you are going to need some springs for the seat. I am 94.5% sure this had springs originally. I have not found them at my local fabric stores (tho I never asked if they had some stashed somewhere). They are easily found online tho so you may want to order them now if you plan on starting soon. In the projects section there are a couple of good threads on upholstering chairs.

Your other option would be to cut a piece of wood in the shape of the seat.  This will give you a much stiffer seat (like a dining chair).  

[mart]

Are the back legs splayed out a bit ??

[TEZZA53]

Hi Mart, No sorry mart no history, they were buried at the back of the loft of my mums bungalow she bought last year. thought they were to good to chuck on the bonfire.
To me they look a little like Elizabethan, but maybe later repro`s,they look like they got loads of age to them but some people are so clever ageing things so any help would be a great help.


  overall height is 37"
  width is 18"
  depth is 17"
  seat height is 18"
  seat size 18" x 17"
  back seat pad is 8" x 17"

[TEZZA53]

Hi again a couple more pictures which may help 

Just a thought these chairs are in the UK,

 I think they are hall chairs, or maybe church or country furniture

[TEZZA53]

Hi mart, No the back legs are not splayed.

[hosman321]

They look really gothic revival to me, they are very similar to chairs I have been browsing from the 1600's but were probably made in the late 1800's-early 1900's.

[TEZZA53]

Hi hosman321, have you got a link to the chairs you have been looking at please, could be helpful, if they are copies of Gothic chairs I would like to restore these as close as possible to the originals, have you any idea what the seat and back support materials were. I have an idea it could possibly be leather ? or could it be tapestry material ? but what colour either way ?

     Many Thanks.
                      Tezza.

[hosman321]

Here are a few. Different, but same style. The first is supposedly original, the second link has reproductions. It's really up to you how you would like them to look, they used all different colors/fabrics back then. If you would like more fabric examples to browse through, you can search ebay or yahoo and search for:
Jacobean Chair
Gothic chair
gothic revival chair
Then, you can get different fabric styles and colors.
If you would like them to look authentic and 1600's-ish, you could give them wooden plank seats rather than fabric.
Oh, and definitely don't refinish the wood or try to change it, they are great as-is.


http://cgi.ebay.com/RARE-CARVED-BREWSTER-TYPE-PILGRAM-CHAIR-CIRCA-1670s-/300560271860?pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item45fac9c9f4

http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Walnut-Jacobean-Chairs-/230618915034?pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item35b1f560da

[Oceans64]

Argh!!!!  The more I look at these chairs, the more puzzled I get!!  LOL  

The back looks nice and symmetrical so I can see why they added the extra stretchers.  Just looks right (to my eye anyway). That said, I am trying to envision how the upholstery looked.  The front back was upholstered right? I can see nail holes, lighter wood, etc...  Then you flip the chair around to the back and the back looks as if it was never covered.  Did the Upholstery attach to the sides of the chair or just the front?  

ETA:  Here is a link to "Hints on Household Taste..." which started the Eastlake trend. http://books.google.com/books?id=irgaAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=eastlake+furniture&hl=en&ei=_zrcTfuLOKjjiAKUrqwb&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CHMQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false

I flipped through it (for the 100th time - LOL) and I am sticking to my original impression that it is Eastlake in style. The fact that it's in the UK is interesting.  If memory serves (and it is often wrong) Eastlake furniture was not popular there. Not like here in the US anyway. It probably would have stayed more to it's original form as well.

Eastlake's style is technically Gothic Revival IMO.  His book prior to this was call "A History of Gothic Revival" so he was definitely influenced.