Hi Jim,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The style of chair is occasionally called "Cromwellian" or "William and Mary" and refers to chairs made in the 17th Century. Your guess that this was made in the late 19th Century is correct: it was part of the Revival movements (Colonial, Gothic and Renaissance, among others) that looked to earlier historical styles for design influence as a reaction against the prevailing mid-19th Century Victorian aesthetic.

Tall chairs such as this were usually used in either the dining room or in large hallways or foyers of large houses, where visitors would wait until the host was ready to see them. They are not made for comfort but for show, evidenced in the elaborate carving of the crest and the arched stretcher between the legs. This was probably one of a (much) larger set.

The markings you show in your photos - 'F40' and '5759' - undoubtedly pattern marks but there hasn't yet been enough scholarship into these to know which makers used them, or these markings specifically.

Other Renaissance Revival carved oak and walnut chairs similar to yours have enjoyed more robust markets than what we are currently experiencing. While they used to reliably sell for between $400 and $600 per chair, they are now selling in the $150-250 range when offered at auction. Collectors are willing to pay a premium for matched examples so if you had a pair or more, the value for the group would be more than a simple multiplication of a single chair.

Note that private sellers have priced similar examples at or around $500 so you might want to price it that high if you're looking to sell this privately.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

An antique Renaissance Revival style carved walnut and oak hall chair
unattributed maker, American or English, late 19th century
Surmounted by a tall symmetrical arched and pierced crest with Prince of Wales feathers and dolphins over a caned back panel flanked by reeded and carved stiles, over a caned trapezoidal seat raised on heavily carved legs joined by an arched front stretcher and H-stretcher.
Overall height: 52-1/2 inches
CONDITION: This chair appears to be in good condition with wear commensurate to age and use.
PROVENANCE: Inherited
$ 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, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia