Hi Ronald,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

Traditional birthing chairs, which had been widely used in various cultures for centuries, declined in popularity with the rise of modern obstetric practices and hospital births in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. However, some midwives and practitioners advocating for natural childbirth continued to use or reintroduce birthing chairs in the mid-to-late 20th century, particularly during the natural birth movement of the 1960s and 1970s. These later designs were often modified to incorporate more ergonomic features or were integrated into hospital birthing beds that allowed for multiple laboring positions.

This birthing chair is of conventional height: they were usually on the small side and were used less for a laboring pregnant woman to sit in than for bracing them during delivery. That said, there are a few things about yours that are a bit suspect: the carved back looks like it doesn't have much wear (shrinkage, oxidation or wear along the top where it might have been held for lifting or moving), the highly carved back is in such high relief that it would certainly have been uncomfortable for leaning back against, and the dovetails joining the back to the seat would not have been as sturdy a form of construction as if this were doweled through the seat with a brace along the back.

There are a number of similar tripod birthing chairs that have come to the auction market in recent years, though none has the carved back of this example. Other similar ones have sold for prices ranging from $100-250 depending on complexity of the chair and history of ownership.

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

An antique carved hardwood tripod birthing chair
probably American, late 19th/early 20th Century
The raised back carved in the form of a mustachioed cowboy with hat, the swayed seat with quatrefoil-pierced ends, raised on three curved legs. Presumably unsigned.
30-1/2 inches overall height; 11 inches wide
CONDITION: This chair appears to be in generally good condition with minimal wear.
PROVENANCE: Acquired in a garage or yard sale
$100-250*
*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