1823 Hudson and Brooks rocking chair
Wonderful chair. Can't find much of any info except a picture from the met museum.
No known history.
Other
Yes
Hi Bryant,
Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.
When it comes to early American painted furniture (of any form - chests, chairs, tables, etc), most of the value lies in the paint - if it's all original and intact it's exponentially more valuable than one like yours where most of the paint has been stripped or otherwise removed.
Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:
An antique American fancy-painted Windsor extended comb-back rocking armchair
New England, 19th Century
Surmounted by a tablet crest issuing a rectangular extended tablet, the back comprised of three arrow-form spindles, the curved arms over a shaped seat, raised on four turned legs joined by a box stretcher, on rockers.
43 1/2 inches overall height, 21 inches width across arms, length of rockers 27 inches
CONDITION: lacking painted surface. Minor wear commensurate with age and use.
$150-250*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.
Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, and thank you again for using Mearto.
Thanks, Bryant!
The chair at the Metropolitan Museum is an exceptional example of a form that was made extensively throughout the American east coast, from the Mid-Atlantic states (even some Southern states) into Northern New England. Not only is that Met's chair a particularly well-proportioned example but it retains its original paint and makers label, which rarely survive these days.
There is nothing on your chair that identifies who or where it was made, which while it does negatively impact the value, is not uncommon - quite a few of these chairs survive that no-one knows where they were made. Lots of supply on the market, not nearly as much demand so market value is modest.
Let me know if you have additional questions!
Being relatively internet savy, there are no other examples pictured online. Your estimate seems off base. Can you show a single example of this chair made elsewhere? Or by other makers?
I can understand why you might be disappointed by my valuation and appreciate the opportunity to defend my appraisal (I've been appraising American furniture at regional and international auction houses in the US for more than 20 years).
If you are internet savvy, I suggest you go to www.liveauctioneers.com and type in the words "comb windsor rocking", then select "price results" and you can see nearly 100 examples of various versions of Windsor comb-back rocking chairs and what they have sold for auction. If you find another chair EXACTLY like yours, sold within the past 2 years with a significantly higher value, please send me the link and I'm happy to reconsider my valuation.
Hello Delia!
First, unfortunately the original paper label is long gone. I'm in sure if these were stamped in an way. The metart example shows a paper label. Does that seem correct?
Concerning the measurements, they are as follows;
Overall hight 43.5- probably .5 inches short due to the rockers being worn.
Width is 21 inches.
The rocker length is 27 inches.
Thank you for your quick response. Is this style rocker very common, ie early American west coast?