Dear Forum Members,

I acquired this pair of Morris chairs and some other A&C pieces this week. I am told they are Scottish c. 1900 by the seller.
They are completely unmarked. Quartersawn oak as you can see, doweled throughout and the slats on each side are decorated with 4 reeded lines and inlaid with a diamond of ivory and ebony. I've shown just one chair here as they are identical.
Is there anything distinctive in the design which would allow a more knowledgeable person than myself to determine that they are in fact Scottish?

Thanks,

Oliver

Hello Oliver,
One thing is for sure they are not Stickley chairs as none of their chairs sat on the floor as the two you have for they had legs.
Also if you find no brand or lable stating them as Stickley they most surley are not. Also Stickley chairs would never have the decorations as you show however that does not make for poor quality chairs as they are well constructed.

Respectfully,

Ralph Jones

Very cool looking chair. Maybe this is due to the flash, but it looks a little too crisp and perfect to be early 1900's. Although refinishing might have given it that "new" look. In any case, you've got something very unique that appears to be well made, congratulations.

Great design for the chair. I agree that they look European and I would have no problem believing that they are Scottish.

A nice find.

Best,
Fred

wow super cool, I'm thinking they were refinished? I think they were made in the good old U.S.A.

Thanks all, for the informative responses.
A&C Junkie, what makes you think they are American?
The chairs came with a mirror and two small cabinets which are finished the same. In one or two spots on the underside of the chair and the reverse of the mirror, the wood was still very dry and kind of blanched-- someone had oiled them before I got there, it smells like linseed oil. They do look fresh, I'm hoping they're not!
One of the small cabinets has a nice green-glazed tile set into the door.
Would the cushions originally have been covered in leather?
Can anyone suggest a reference book for comparison with Scottish forms?

Thanks again,

Oliver

If it smells like linseed oil, it is more than likely Howard's restore a finish, Have been is stores where they must dip furniture in it. Mikey

Wow - that's a pretty chair!

Thanks, Mox. I recall you were looking at one awhile back, did you go for it?

Nice chairs. They do look Scottish. Looks like Limbert was strongly influenced by some of these designs.
Did you purchase them from a dealer in Southern California?

Hi Jeff,

They were in an estate sale in Pasadena.
Good point, the mirror (which I haven't got space to photograph) has fretwork like some of Limbert's pieces too.

Oliver

Wow. Good memory! The Royal Easy Chair I came across has been a nagging voice in the back of my head for months! The antique store in which it resides is an hour's drive and I haven't made it back down that way this summer. I'll get down there soon though; curiosity is killing me... I'll keep you updated!

Came across the Craftsman Auction website, http://www.craftsman-auctions....r_select.php&cat=533 it's an excellent online reference source. There are images of a Stickley 332 morris chair and Limbert morris chair up there, both of which seem to share some characteristics with this one suggesting there was some level of cross-influence going on. Some helpful collectors in Edinburgh also feel it's Scottish c. 1900. They said oil finishing was common there
so I guess these aren't refinished after all. Whew.

Oliver

The Limbert chair