Bay Colony Antiques is proud to offer for sale this fantastic mid 19th century antique Rococo rosewood parlor chair. We believe the chair was made in New York City but are not 100% certain. The chair is extremely well made and is every bit the quality of work from Belter & Meeks’ cabinet shops. It’s easy to attribute the upper echelon of their work, but it’s important to remember that each shop was quite prolific and made furniture for all walks of life. The chairs that are heavily pierce carved were labor intensive and not affordable for most. If this wasn’t made in New York City, it was probably made in either Philadelphia or France. Philadelphia also produced high quality Rococo furniture by virtue of the large number of French immigrant cabinet makers that called the city home.
The chair has a wonderfully carved crest with a rose carving at the center surrounded by other foliage. The chair has a molded seat back with a plump backrest that was popular at the time. The rear stiles have acanthus carvings and there are 4 small carved ovoid leaves at the bottom of the back. The chair has a serpentine form seat box, and the front rail has a carved flower at the center with a highly detailed carved leaf on each side. The curvilinear form is continued at the front legs and the elegance and grace of the chair is further enhanced with carved flowers on the knees and demure foliate carvings at the terminus of the feet.
The chair is in wonderful condition with our only notes being minor surface wear and the fabric is tattered. This is probably the second fabric, and the red that can be seen underneath is likely the original. This would be an easy job for an upholsterer and the added value to the chair will outweigh the cost of the upholstery. We’re always more concerned with the shape and integrity of the frames and are proud to say the frame is completely free of any breaks and repairs. The chair measures 18” wide x 17” deep x 35 1/2” tall with a 17” seat height.
