With our highest compliments Bay Colony Antiques take the utmost pleasure in offering this remarkable set of six early 19th century antique dining chairs. Typically these early American chairs are found in the Northeastern countryside primarily in upper New England and in rural parts of New York State and Pennsylvania. We have been fortunate to have owned numerous sets of these federal period chairs in the past and find them to be the perfect design solution for country interiors. They possess the rustic early American charm which only true antiques can offer while also providing reliable dependability for future generations who require a sturdy set of chairs for everyday living. These federal era sets of chairs can date to the later part of the 18th century or the earliest quarter of the 19th century with the sabre leg chairs typically dating to 1810 - 1820. Quite often collectors seek to place similarly formed chairs around a long antique harvest table or traditional dropleaf country table. Generally these chairs are found in pairs or sets of four and collectors rely on finding close matches to assemble sets of six or higher. We are most fortunate to offer a true set of six matched chairs that are entirely uniform in design while also being of a superior format to the commonly found maple chairs of the American federal era.
We believe that these chairs were constructed somewhere in New Hampshire at the beginning of the 19th century during the height of the American federal period. The superior form of each chair, along with the highly figured bird's eye maple grain complimented by the bold and striking tiger maple grain, are more common in areas such as New Hampshire where a high concentration of skilled furniture artisans and native old growth maple trees are both found. The curvature form of each chair provides a higher degree of comfort not common for old antique country chairs as every component of these chairs is formed to contour to the sitter's back and legs. The crest rails are both curved and contoured to conform to the back of the sitter and feature a central carved element. Each of the chair's upright sides, the Grecian urn styled back splats, and lower seat rails are also contoured and curved to provide comfort. The seats feature hand tied caning which remain sturdy and reliable for everyday usage. Every seat is rounded over and constructed with a serpentine seat rail which conforms to the back of a sitter's legs. The front facing legs are sabre formed which became a popular design element during the first quarter of the early 19th century. The rear legs are all splayed, and the chair bases are further strengthened by double stretcher supports on either sides. All of the six chairs have remained sturdy and in great condition with only a few acceptable small wood losses that have no bearing whatsoever on the chairs overall. The chairs measure 17 1/2" long x 17 1/2" wide x 32 1/2" tall with seat heights of 17" tall off the ground.
