Recliner shows simple style of Mission furniture
Recliner With a Mission
Q. This is a picture of a recliner that has been in our family for at least 100 years. Wood slats support the back cushion. There are two spindles on both sides of the back to adjust the back position. The frame is oak, and the cushions have been reupholstered. I believe the style is Mission and that it has the original finish.
Any information on my recliner will be appreciated.
A. You are correct. Your recliner is an example of Mission furniture. The Mission, or Arts and Crafts, design movement sprang from the ideas of British scholar John Ruskin and designer William Morris in the late 1800s. They embraced the return to honest craftsmanship and the dignity of work. They were inspired by the integrity of Gothic furniture. Gustav Stickley, a trained stone mason and skilled furniture maker, visited Europe and saw for himself the Arts and Crafts movement. He returned to the U.S. and founded the United Crafts of Eastwood, New York. It wasn't long before the movement spread in the U.S. The style can be recognized by quarter-sawn oak, corbels, mortise and tenon construction, and simple clean straight lines. The simplicity of the furniture was a clear comment on the curvilinear lines and ornate designs of the mass-produced factory-made Victorian furniture. Myriad makers of Arts and Crafts furniture quickly followed Stickley's lead.
Stickley, along with his brothers, L. and J.G. Stickley, Limbert, Shop of the Crafter and the Roycrafters usually marked their furniture.
Original finish and condition are the two most important factors determining value of furniture. The recliner chairs were originally designed by William Morris, thus the name. Your Morris chair probably had leather cushions.
Your Morris chair should be insured for $800 to $1200.
Q. I have enclosed the mark that is on the bottom of a pottery vase that I have. It stands about 9 inches tall and is decorated with a metallic bronze and purple floral glaze. Although it has been in the family for years, no one knows anything about it. It is in perfect condition.
I hope you can tell me something about its history, age and value.
A. You have a vase made by Weller Pottery. They were in business from 1882 to 1948 in Zanesville, Ohio. “Sicardo” is the name of a line of pottery that Weller made between 1901 and 1907. It was the creation of French designer, Jacques Sicard.
• Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P.O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters.
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