Page 24 - joa-feb-23

Take a Seat … or

Two … or Three …

by Judy Weaver Gonyeau, managing editor
veryone has their Colonial / William and Mary / Queen Anne
favorite chair, Makers still turned to England for style ideas as towns and cities
Ewhether it is an were being established in the New World, and a simplified version
of their cousin’s decor began to take on a more “American” look.
ergonomic masterpiece or
The woods used were elm, walnut, and mahogany. Better and more
an overstuffed recliner.
intricate construction was starting to show up, including the use of
Even our pets tend to own dovetails. Finishing meant applying paint, oil varnish, or a layer of wax.
their spots when allowed Within the realm of Colonial furniture came other influences of
on the furniture. design and structure which include the William and Mary
Across the centuries of (W&M) style, and the Queen Anne Style. W&M-style
our ever-changing country, chairs had an emphasis on the purpose of the piece.
American furniture was not Strong, high-relief carving and curves with
only influenced by other different woods are used to create different
countries, but by purpose, tones or colors. W&M trended from 1710-
comfort, status, and things 1735 in America, ten years longer than in
that were pleasing to the eye England.
within the decor of the At right, this ca. 1750
household. While some may Queen Anne style corner
American Country give a chair a passing glance, chair has the expected
Rustic-style wooden others admire the lines, solid splats, (no open-
scalloped ladder back side decorative elements, and piercing as in later
chair with a woven structure, along with the examples) and is com-
rush seat and history and provenance posed of the desirable
box form stretcher. walnut indicative of an
placed before them on four, earlier construction date.
and sometimes three, legs. The Queen Anne pad
foot is typical. This chair
is in excellent condition
Early American Seating with no breaks. Generally,
The European settlers coming to these chairs receive much
North America had very little furni- use. The walnut retains
ture to place in the home – just the an older surface that has
basics. Each piece was handmade been waxed, and the chair
was reupholstered in a
with only a very few pieces that traditional fabric.
could be purchased by fellow immi- photo: 1stDibs.com
grants. Early Americans made and
used furniture that was inspired by Above is an original William and Mary walnut armchair, circa the 1690s. Scrolling
the memories of those pieces in arms turning outwards in the typical William Mary flamboyant style, scrolling front legs
their European homes. Jacobean connected by central arched support. Caned seat and back slat. Beautifully carved
throughout with a wonderful all over rich patina. Selling for $5,600 online. photo: Charish
style chairs with heavy carving and
sturdily built, but lacking a certain Wainscot chairs with elaborately The Queen Anne style could be considered the “smaller, lighter,
finesse that comes from having the carved wooden back. These 17th and more comfortable” relation to William and Mary. You need go
right tools and skills meant these century American chairs come with no further than Independence Hall in Philadelphia to see fine exam-
chairs were or without arm supports. ples on display that are attributed to William Savery. Dates for the
rough in character and a bit simpler in design. Queen Anne trend run from the mid-1720s to around 1760.
And as for comfort, that was not necessarily
the goal in these times. Pennsylvania Dutch
Above, the Wainscot chairs kept all the dec- The heavy immigration of
oration to the front with simple squared sup- German people to American
porting wood elements toward the back. Other shores starting in the late
chairs, referred to as Turned chairs, were more 1600s brought another set of
Elizabethan in nature and also referred to as skills and aesthetics to this grow-
Spindle chairs. ing country. The true
Spindle-back armchairs of this type (ca. 1660-1700) were heyday of the Pennsylvania
produced by turners. The chair’s components were quickly Dutch style took place from
fashioned on a lathe, easily assembled, and finished with 1730 to about 1830. According
seats woven from rush or another inexpensive fiber. This This ca. 1720 antique settle is made
particular chair is one of a minority of seventeenth-century from Pennsylvania pine with three
turned chairs with posts ornamented below the seat and it drawers built under the seat. The hooded
represents a rare occurrence of turnings on both the rear top is curved, and some of the original
and front legs. photo: The Met blue paint is still intact. This settle sold
for $1,410 at a 2020 estate sale.
22 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles