rare missions style furniture
Paul Smith
furniture.
I have 4 pieces of same style furniture. While have 2 chairs being
restored by a recommended antique restorer, a collector familiar to
the restorer's shop saw one of my chairs and asked if it was for sale.
Apparently being somewhat persistant, he instructed the restorer to
pass along to its owner that he would pay $16,000 for the single
chair. The restorer told him the owner also had a same style rocker
and the collector indicated that he wanted them both at $16,000 each.
We are trying to find an appraiser here locally to assist us. I have
also look on the internet for similar looking pieces but to no avail.
Descriptions:
I could not find any signatures or other text indicating who may have
made the pieces. I did find a numerical stamp on the underside of the
desk indicating the number "667". The only obvious style difference
on these versus what I have seen is this one particular aspect: on
the chairs, the legs rising to the arm rest does not terminate under
the arm rest. The legs rise slightly above the arm rests (4x4 looking
posts) and the tops of the arm rest are finished into a pyramid shape.
The desk legs do the same thing, they rise above the work surface of
the desk into pyramid shapes. (have 1 rocker chair, reg chair, desk
and cut down dinning table into a coffe table (round)).
My great grandmother supposedly set up house keeping with this
furniture in 1906 and it was supposedly used even then. I have no
idea if its mission, arts and crafts, craftman etc or who might have
made them. Given that my great grand mother was an Osage Indian (in
the 1900's oil made them very wealthy) she could have had something
custom made or something.
Anyway, any information about this style or referals to good
appraisers or books or any information would be greatly appreciated.
Mike Wilcox
Hi Paul,
There are not many Arts & Crafts chairs that would sell for that amount
that are not well documented. The ones that do are limited production or
one off items by Gus Stickley, Greene & Greene, F. L. Wright or have
provenance's to famous events or persons. If you could post an image some
place I could look at it or email it to me I would be happy to give you my
opinion.
Mike Wilcox
Andy Dingley
>I need some research assistance on an apparently rare style of mission
>furniture.
(I know almost nothing about this style, and even less about antiques.
I'm a furniture maker, and I make reproductions in this style)
There are a few styles involved here; "Mission" and "Arts and Crafts"
can mean almost anything, particularly if you compare A&C from across
the Atlantic. "Craftsman" is a rather better defined term (although
widely misused) as the work of Gustav Stickley alone, best designed by
Harvey Ellis, in this one style.
Genuine Stickley was clearly marked with their "Als ik kan" trademark,
as shown here.
http://www.daltons.com/craftsa.html
Although G Stickley never defended design rights on their designs (and
this was a big reason behind their commercial collapse), they did
strongly defend the trademark. If it's marked, then it's probably
genuinely of their manufacture, or it's some recent faking.
Genuine Craftsman, commands huge prices. This is stupid, but that's
collectorism for you. Bizarrely, the work of his brothers ( L & J G
Stickley) is very low valued in comparison. Even more so, Gustav's
non-Craftsman pieces are almost uncollected.
The best Craftsman pieces were designed by Harvey Ellis, a drunkard
who died a year after starting to design them. Most strangely of all,
the uglier a Craftsman piece is, the more valuable it is. The best
designed pieces were recognised as such at an early stage, and sold
well. It's the rarities, and the many truly hideous designs they made
(mainly long after Ellis), that go for the real money. This saddens
me.
Compare the prices here:
$6K for these attractive, but common tables
http://www.treadwaygallery.com/12-3-2000-sale/catalog/arts&crafts/lot410.html
http://www.treadwaygallery.com/12-3-2000-sale/catalog/arts&crafts/lot457.html
or $50K for the similar, but rare early period table
http://www.treadwaygallery.com/12-3-2000-sale/catalog/arts&crafts/lot490.html
or even $2K for a mere wastebasket, because few were sold (I'll do you
a copy for under $100 !)
http://www.treadwaygallery.com/12-3-2000-sale/catalog/arts&crafts/lot505.html
There are no really good books on Craftsman conoisseurship that I'm
aware of (Please ! tell me about them). There are a couple of
broader-scope books that are worth having, and a whole load that are
simply dreadful. Here are a few that are worth having:
"In the Arts & Crafts Style"
Barbara Mayer, Rob Gray
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0811802027/codesmiths
The best overall guide, and a beautiful book. Expensive, and hard to
find though - it might be out of print.
"The Furniture of Gustav Stickley"
Bavaro & Mossman
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/094193635X/codesmiths
The reproducer's friend, especially for the D-I-Y furniture maker.
Excellent project-style book, with good drawings, but only a few
pieces.
"Shop Drawings for Craftsman Furniture"
Robert Lang
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1892836122/codesmiths
Just what it says - shop drawings alone. Good book though.
Stickley Craftsman Furniture Catalogs
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486238385/codesmiths
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0486266761/codesmiths
A couple of reprints of original Stickley catalogues. Cheap and
essential.
>I have
>also look on the internet for similar looking pieces but to no avail.
Get the catalogues and look through them. Stickley used an obscure,
but consistent, design numbering system throughout their production.
667 might be a round table and 666 a demonic throne in brimstone-fumed
oak, but 667 will _always_ be the same design of table. Apart from a
few customer-choice variations in leather used for cushions, fabric
screens etc. the 667 design will remain consistent. They also made a
bigger but otherwise identical version of it, but that was numbered as
a 668. There were very few changes in manufacturing technique over
time (although a test of a good appraiser would be to ask what these
were)
There's a 667 here
http://www.treadwaygallery.com/12-3-2000-sale/catalog/arts&crafts/lot446.html
I know of no sensible lists of these design numbers. Maybe I'll write
one sometime.... (manyana)
>I could not find any signatures or other text indicating who may have
>made the pieces. I did find a numerical stamp on the underside of the
>desk indicating the number "667".
Unless its extremely early (and I'm not sure if the 667 was made this
early), then it should be marked with the name "Craftsman" and the Als
ik kan compass logo. As Stickley's main competitor was his brothers,
then he didn't _want_ to emphasise the "Stickley" brand !
>The only obvious style difference
>on these versus what I have seen is this one particular aspect: on
>the chairs, the legs rising to the arm rest does not terminate under
>the arm rest. The legs rise slightly above the arm rests (4x4 looking
>posts) and the tops of the arm rest are finished into a pyramid shape.
Either style is common. Pyramids are decorative, but they're a damn
nuisance on those nice flat chair arms, otherwise so good for resting
a cup of tea.
If you could post photos to the web or the
alt.binaries.pictures.furniture that would be appreciated.