I recently purchased an Emerson & Son furniture catalog from 1893 which I will make available on the catalog page in future. What caught my eye in the catalog was the above pictured table.  As I said to Paul Tucker in an email, it is very “Merklenesque”, as in the Merklen Brothers.  Hopefully, some of you have read enough here on Rare Victorian to know not to even whisper the name George Hunzinger in association with tables such as these.  He did not corner the market on spiral furniture as is sometimes thought and he did not make tables that resembled these that I will show you in this post. Continue Reading »

One of my favorite issues of the Magazine Antiques (and I have hundreds dating back as far as the 1930s) is the May 2005 issue with an article by Paul Tucker on Moorish Fretwork.  As some of you may know, Paul is a regular around here on Rare Victorian and I thank him for his regular assistance on identifying all things Hunzinger, Merklen and Ransom.  Heck – anything spiral.

This issue is important for it’s coverage of the kings of spiral – George Hunzinger, Merklen Brothers, and Moses Younglove Ransom and is a must for a fan of any of these makers.

Continue Reading »

Bob Courtney Auctions has a sale coming up on on Saturday, November the 8th that will include the six brethren to the above four John Henry Belter side chairs.  The complete set is being categorized as following Belter’s “Henry Clay” pattern.

The issue that I have with this set (not even having looked at condition yet) is that it appears to be an incongruous marriage with an un-Henry Clay suite.  Aside from the fabric variations and the inexplicably large number of ten pieces (nine of which are chairs), some of the side chairs have a distinctly different design than those above.

I did some initial digging before vacation to try to unravel the pattern of the chairs that I don’t see as pure Henry Clay but ran out of time, so maybe someone with deeper Belter knowledge can enlighten us.  The chairs in question are below.  A glance at THE Henry Clay reference set that started the pattern is all you need in order to see the variation in the seat back.

What we may have is a few chairs that don’t fit a particular pattern but are an ancestor of, descendant of, or variation on the Henry Clay pattern (with some Rosalie).  Some more digging would tell me for sure and if they are not meant to be together, this is an example of a large set that I wouldn’t get agida over if someone decided to split it up post-sale.  I would bet good money that it will be split by it’s next owner.  Courtney should or might have even thought of doing so.

Anyway, there is more to see in this sale and while it is still pending you can see a selection of items from it below including a signed Karpen Art Nouveau set from 1906-1911 (thanks, Emily Rose, for that info), some “RJ Horner” chairs that are more likely also Karpen (see here to compare), a great Belter window seat, a questionable Roux attribution (did Roux ever really do Atlas figures? not that I’ve seen), a Meeks sofa, an Aesthetic cabinet that they attribute to Herter Brothers, as well as a “Hunzinger” hall tree that mysteriously looks like a Merklen knockoff (I don’t think it is actually made by either), and more.  Something for everyone …

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If you remember this post a while back, I spotted this chair that looked out of place and ran a contest to see who could figure out what was different about it.  There were many responses in the comments section and many knew that it looked like a Merklen chair and that the brass elements were conspicuously missing.  The authentic antique chair can be seen in the image here.

Paul Tucker contacted me recently and let me know that Tom Webster was dead on right in knowing that this was a reproduction.  Not only are these chairs being sold “new in box”, but so are Merklen style tables (sold under the wrong name, Hunzinger) and Hunzinger lollipop chairs.

Thanks, Paul, for the heads up and Tom for the sharp eye.

On a separate note, if anyone is getting “banned IP” messages, I’m having a sporadic issue with security software that I use to keep out people trying to spam the site with fake comments.  If you continue to get it and are willing to work with me live on the phone to try and resolve it, please get in contact with me.  No, I’m not really banning any of you!

Well, the table is finished and it looks fantastic.  In this final episode, John Hutchinson of Rose Valley Restorations in West Chester, PA explains the process that he, Kyle, and Bill followed to bring the table to this final condition. There is a luminescence to the color due to the shellac that John mixes himself from imported flakes that can’t be captured on the video.

The table is now in my foyer next to my other golden Oak pieces, including a tall lion-crested Oak hall bench from around 1910.  They all look like they belong together.

Thanks again to John for allowing me to film the process and for creating a work of art for me.

You can view the video by using the player above or follow the instructions to view it in full-screen, stereo and High-Definition.