Wicker Victorian Lady's Arm Chair

Please see appraisal below for description.

SAUNDERS APPRAISAL SERVICE

   Member: National Association of Professional Appraisers

                               230 Washington Avenue

   Savannah, GA 31405

                                                    (912) 443-1407

                                                                                                September 14, 2009

Dear Ms. *****,

     In accordance with our agreement of September 7, 2009, I have made a Fair Market Appraisal of the personal property on the following pages. It is my opinion that the value of your antique wicker armchair and pair of antique wall sconces as of this date is $1,685. 

     I further certify that I have no present undisclosed interest in the articles appraised, nor is any such interest contemplated in the future. My fee for preparation of the valuation and report was based upon hours expended and costs involved and were in no way contingent upon or related to the values given or the results of the uses of this report.

This report is valid only for the purposes stated and cannot be used outside of that context. The report is rendered invalid if any part is separated from these statements giving purpose, limiting considerations, dates and type of value.

I have a Bachelor of Arts degree from Sonoma State University in California. The first of my five books in the antiques field was published in 1976. I have also written numerous magazine and newspaper articles in the antiques and collectibles field. I have lectured before the American Society of Appraisers, the Minneapolis Museum of Fine Art and organized an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution in 1993. I have been a Personal Property Appraiser since 1984.

Respectfully submitted:

 Richard Saunders

SAUNDERS APPRAISAL SERVICE

1. Antique Wicker Lady's Armchair                    $485

Late Victorian painted wicker armchair in classic "serpentine" design. Rolled arms and back. Intricate curlicue design decorates the backrest and skirting. Set-in, machine-woven cane seat. Cabriole legs.

Condition: The value of this armchair is significantly lowered due to the condition of the backrest. It is missing several curved reed elements and wooden beads in the inner design of the backrest. I would recommend restoration in order to obtain its full Fair Market value, which would be $750 if restored properly by an experienced wicker restoration artist.

Materials: Reed (the inner core of the Rattan vine) and cane (the flat, glossy outer covering of the rattan vine).

This Serpentine design was a popular seller with both the Heywood Brothers and their rival, the Wakefield Rattan Company. The two giants of the industry merged in 1897 to form the most famous of all wicker companies – the Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company.

Manufactured in the late 1890s by the Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company of Gardner, Massachusetts. (The firm had satellite warehouses in Chicago, Boston, New York, San Francisco and many other large cities in the United States). This piece is pictured in a book I wrote the Introduction for several years ago ("Classic Wicker Furniture: The Complete 1898-1899 Illustrated Catalog"). The catalog refers to the piece as a "Lady's Arm Chair." The serial number of the chair was 6068 and it can be seen on page 38 of the book (easily obtained through used book dealers on the Internet if interested).

     After the Civil War Cyrus Wakefield began experimenting with rattan, reed and cane in the manufacture of wicker furniture. Wakefield ultimately became known as the father of the American wicker furniture industry and the furniture produced by the Wakefield Rattan Company is the most sought after in existence. His most serious rival was Levi Heywood, founder of the Heywood Brothers & Company. These two titans of the industry battled each other throughout the 1880s and most of the 1890s until, in 1897, they merged to form the now-famous Heywood Brothers & Wakefield Company. This was a consolidation which all but monopolized the quality wicker furniture industry from the turn-of-the-century through the 1920s. During this period the newly-formed company pooled the top line of craftsmen, designers and business minds from both companies.

In the early 1900s public taste began veering away from the overly ornate Victorian designs toward a more simple and practical style.

     Note: On today’s antiques market natural (unpainted) and labeled wicker pieces are the most highly desirable and historically significant pieces because they are so rare. Regardless, your armchair is an excellent example of a classic late Victorian design which is being reproduced to this day in South America.

Measurements: 40 ½" high X 24" wide X 17" deep