Aesthetic Movement Spiderweb Chair

9 comments

1. Vintrest-John S. October 16, 2010
   What a beautiful example in the Aesthetic Movement style! Somehow spiderwebs and spiders seem to have a prominent place in Aesthetic designs as do butterflys and other whimsical motifs derived from nature. I have an Aesthetic silverplated cup with spiderwebs, birds, butterflies, grasshoppers, urns, flowers, vines, maked "Quadruple" (silverplate) by the Rockford Silverpate Co. (design) 279. I also have a cherrywood chair with a large center medallion featuring a carved butterfly with open wings. It is awaiting restoration. When I worked at a local auction house in the 1990's I recall a container shipment from the UK that contained a fine Aesthetic Movement wardrobe with side panels featuring spider webs, spiders, butterflies, birds and other whimsical nature motifs. (wish I could have bought it) It seems that for a while during the late 1870's to early 1880's there was a a specific nature motif design "vocabulary" used almost universally for pieces in the Aesthetic taste on both sides of the Atlantic. Regrettably, all too quickly the Aesthetic Movement "fad" evaporated leaving us with less than a whole decade of examples to choose from. This spider web motif chair is one of the best I've seen reflecting this short-lived style. I appreciate you posting it.
2. Valerie October 18, 2010
   Beautiful! How anyone can pick Arts and Crafts starkness in comparison to such lovely Victorian era design is past me.
3. renaissanceman October 23, 2010
   Incredible chair!! A very rare example and unique design by one of the high end furniture makers in New York, perhaps Herter or Pottier & Stymus! I must have for any collector of Aesthetic 19th Century design. Renaissanceman
4. Kerry Shrives December 1, 2010
   The wonderful new Art of the Americas Wing at the MFA in Boston have an identical chair on exhibit, with an attribution to Ohio. Here is a link to an image of the MFA chair: http://www.skinnerinc.com/cms/cmsimages/mfa_aestheticchair.jpg
   1. John Werry December 1, 2010
      Thanks for the info, Kerry!
5. Vintrest-John S. December 1, 2010
   Kerry, the link you provided is for Skinner Auction but the photo shows indeed an identical chair. I went to the Boston MFA website and tried to find this chair in their collection without success. You mentioned "Ohio" as a possible provenance-is there any other information that might lead to identifying the maker? Ohio had a number of furniture manufacturers in the late 19th Century, Robert Mitchell in Cincinnati comes to mind but there were certainly others. A lot of "Art Carved" furniture was made there by master carvers Ben Pittman and Henry and William Fry, father and son carvers as well as pieces by some of their family members and friends. Jennifer Howe wrote a book on 19th century art carved furniture from Cincinnati and this type of chair would be consistent with some of the furniture being made there in the early 1880's. Hence my curiosity.
6. Kerry Shrives December 16, 2010
   John, I also couldn't find the chair in the MFA's online database, and don't recall seeing it on exhibition in the past. I believe that the attribution was to Dayton, Ohio. I'm also very curious as to an attribution.
7. Kerry Shrives January 6, 2011
   I want to correct my earlier post about attribution. The display label is as follows: Side chair Ohio (Toledo), about 1870-90 Walnut or mahogany, replaced upholstery Collection of Barrie and Deedee Wigmore, New York
8. John Werry January 9, 2011
   Thanks Kerry. The one pictured above appears to be Mahogany. I wonder what the basis of the Ohio association is on the display label.