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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: hosman321 on October 08, 2010, 06:32:10 PM
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Bought this today, I just love it. Have a couple quick questions. I know wicker was most popular from the 1860's-1940's. How can I date this one? The hardware seems to be similar to the type used on my ice cream parlor chair that is stamped 1894. I'm guessing this was made around 1900? ??? I'll get pics of it later when we go get it out of the car. I hurt my back today and just feel like being lazy. :P
A lot of wicker back then was made by Heywood Wakefield. But theirs seems much more fancy than my settee. Wondering if there's a site with antique Heywood wicker furniture that I can browse through.
Also, were tete-a-tetes really made to separate courting couples? Or, were they just "accidentally" used for that purpose?
This settee needs a few tiny wicker pieces replaced, the previous owner has kept it outside forever and told me to keep it outside too. Of course, something this old, made of natural materials, should never be keep outside in this rainy state. I'll also need to re-paint it and figure out how to coil the end of the arm back together. Pretty darn good shape though. Thanks for any input!
Same exact one. They say 20's. Didn't courting start fading away in the 20's?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Antique-Wicker-Courting-Courtship-Chair-Early-1900s-/190379086634?pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item2c537a532a
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Here's another for sale but gives no info...
http://catalog.antiquewicker.com/view.php?id=2951
Found a funny quote: Lyall Watson argued that this type of furnitue was essentially an instrument for the introduction of pheromones, "putting a suitor's armpit within inches of his intended's nostrils." ;D
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Thank you for taking the time to find that one, too bad they don't know more. Seems like a fairly common settee, would be great if I could find the company to date it.
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Love it! That would look so nice on a Victorian veranda!
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I love it too, tales. I sooo wish I had a big enclosed porch with big ferns and shabby stuff to display it and use it. By the way, I paid a whole whopping $30 for it. ;D
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Great score for $30 Hosman! I agree, it would be SO cool on a veranda. I wish you had one too, then I could come over and we'd sip mint julips and wave to the neighbors, LOL!
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Excellent for $30!! While looking at examples I think I've fallen in love with a few wooden ones. Would be great if you had a large area that needed to be divided for separate conversation areas... Which I don't - lol.
Google: Bar Harbor wicker furniture. There are lots of reproductions out there and the pattern looks similar to yours but you would be able to tell better. Here's one site with some good examples: http://www.thewickershop.com/ and another: http://catalog.antiquewicker.com/catalog.php?area=Chairs
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Tete-a-tet is a french word that means "head to head" or "private conversation"! It was a conversation piece while so many believe it had to do totally with suitors....it actually was for conversing. It helped support that time in history that you don't converse loudly but have a private conversation that not everybody and their mother could hear.
Originally these little numbers were called a "Confident" and made in the 18th Century. They were made with fine upholstery for use in parlors. In the 19th C. the Tete-a-tet evolved when the popularity grew and those that were not the "upper-crust" wanted to follow suit, the furniture was adapted to benches and wooden/wicker structures that would better suit the setting it was to be placed in and/or be available to the masses.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U31uw6CVZuQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U31uw6CVZuQ)
They not only made them double seaters, they even made them for 3! These larger versions generally were in the middle of a room or hotel lobby.
(http://www.heraldnet.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=DH&Date=20100318&Category=LIVING03&ArtNo=703189993&Ref=AR&MaxW=306&MaxH=296)
When those that were not the "upper-crust" wanted to follow suit, the furniture was adapted to benches and wooden/wicker structures that would better suit the setting it was to be placed in.
Example of a bench(http://i.ebayimg.com/01/!ByBGF0Q!2k~$(KGrHqUOKkMEwRdYjWBIBMP7qT6IVg~~_1.JPG?set_id=8800005007) (http://www.artfinding.com/images/lot/_145/claudio_boltiansky_artfinding_tete_a_tete_settee_12043256519994188188_mini_.jpg)
They are still made today, but they have a totally different style/function - simply put, joined furniture.
(http://common2.csnimages.com/lf/2/hash/4873/2047961/1/Shine-Company-Inc%2E-Westport-Kids-3-Piece-Conversation-Set.jpg)
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This is also known as a gossip bench!! :)