Tete-a-tete chair sets foster conversation
Q. We have had this furniture set for many years and have never discovered what it is called or what it is worth. We would appreciate any help you might provide.
A. As Freud supposedly said, “Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.” In this case, sometimes a table and two chairs are just a table and two chairs, but some people occasionally call this grouping a “tete-a-tete.”
This literally means “head-to-head” in French, and is a term generally applied to two conjoined chairs designed to promote an intimate conversation.
Most often, the chairs have an S-curved back with a seat in one loop facing one way and a chair in the other loop facing the other direction.
When two people are seated in the chairs, they essentially face each other. Other forms of tete-a-tetes exist, but this is the most common. A tete-a-tete also may apply to a tea or coffee set consisting of two cups and saucers, a tea or coffeepot, a cream pitcher and a sugar bowl on a tray. These are usually made from porcelain, but silver sets also exist.
Most collectors would find tete-a-tete a confusing term if applied to a table and chairs. We think the set was designed for “tea for two,” or perhaps as an intimate breakfast grouping or to be used for a two-handed game of cards.
When we find these pieces in modern homes, the chairs are generally decorative and their owners discourage people from sitting in them. You failed to mention that the chairs have music boxes in their seats, providing a clue to their origins.
Another clue would be the carved edelweiss flowers in the European black-walnut frames and as part of a garland inlaid on the tabletop. Because music boxes are understandably associated with Switzerland and edelweiss is the national flower of both Austria and Switzerland, we feel strongly that these pieces originated in that region. Most collectors would call these items Swiss, but Austria is a possible place of origin.
The set's curvilinear lines and decorations are based on Germanic baroque design (popular in the 17th century) and blended with French rococo elements (popular since the mid-18th century). This set may represent the height of Victorian style, but reality points to a manufacture date no earlier than the late 19th century. An early 20th century date is far more likely.
We see these “musical chairs,” built for the tourist trade, with some regularity. But the addition of another chair and a table to make a set is unusual and highly desirable.
We are told that reproduction pieces are being made in Southeast Asia, and similar items can still be purchased in Switzerland and Austria. This early-20th-century example in walnut, walnut burl and satinwood with elaborate inlay work should be valued at $1,200 to $1,800 for insurance purposes.
ŸContact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928 or via e-mail at treasures@knology.net.