How to Research the Background of Antique Chairs
Antique chairs range from the gloriously ornate Chippendales to the functional and relatively stark rocking chairs of Colonial America. Many chair designs still in use today first gained popularity in Victorian England, Colonial America and Renaissance-era France. Various companies and furniture craftsmen perfected techniques that flourished during these times, many of which are still in use by modern manufacturers. To research the background of a chair you own or want to buy, use a combination of book study and door-to-door investigation.
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Things You'll Need
- Historical furniture design books
- Catalogs from antique chair and furniture auctions
Instructions
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Learn about the evolution of chairmaking. The earliest American chair designs tended to be extremely ornamental, replacing or supplementing the colonists' functional sitting stools. Rococo chairs, first popularized in America around the time of the Revolution, have a wide and upholstered back. The chair's feet resemble an animal's furry paws, known to designers as hairy paw feet.
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Examine an antique chair's legs. Their style often reveals the date, country and manufacturer of origin. A spiral or barley twist leg looks like a twisted rope, and was introduced as a prominent feature in England's William and Mary, Empire and Federal chairs. Chippendale and Queen Anne chairs have carved Cabriole legs, with inward curved 'ankles' and outward curved 'knees.' This style sometimes contains ornate claw feet, a variation on hairy paw feet.
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Learn about the rocking chair and other popular types of antique chairs. You can spot many older design motifs by looking at pictures of similar pieces in estate auction catalogs or reading the history of established rocking chair manufacturers and artisans. Ask interior designers who specialize in antique furniture about the background of their favorite rocking chairs. Original Swedish rocking chairs have six legs and are painted black with gold outlines. American Windsor Rockers have rounded backs and comb-shaped headrests. Boston rockers have a higher back than their other counterparts. English Hepplewhite chairs have a shield-shaped back, straight legs, and no carved inlays. Heavily upholstered French Bergere chairs feature intricate carving and moldings, and are often painted to a glossy shine.
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Study history books and films. By checking drawings, photos and video documentaries of the American Revolution, Victorian England, medieval Europe, ancient Egypt and other eras, you can learn a lot about chairs and other furniture used during those times, and determine where and when they were produced.
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Consult your local antique store owner. If they carry antique chairs, they can clue you in on the history of the pieces that have passed through their shop. Often, the customers or clients who placed the furniture with them related the item's backstory to them.
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Check with your local museum. They often feature historical exhibits with antique furniture. Talk to the curator about the background and carving methods used for each chair. Your local university library, design and history departments can also help you research the history or background of antique chairs.
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