Treasures: Hard to determine set's style, but they are grand

Q. I bought this three-piece set — settee, rocker and armchair — from an antiques store 11 years ago and paid $500. My husband and I tied the springs and reupholstered it. Could you divine its age, style and current value?

A. This parlor set may have had a few more pieces when it was new. There may have been, for example, a mate to the armchair, plus two to four matching side chairs.

Full sets of this type of furniture seldom turn up, and the fact that you actually have the matching rocking chair is a bit unusual because these were often separated out and sold as single pieces. The love-seat size of the sofa — or settee — is typical of parlor furniture made at the turn of the 20th century.

We have been using the words “sofa” and “settee” interchangeably, and they are interchangeable, to a large extent. “Sofa” (or “suffah”) is derived from Arabic; it originally referred to a platform or carpeted and cushioned alcove raised above the surrounding floor. The Grand Vizier used it to meet and entertain distinguished visitors.

In Europe, the term was applied to any richly upholstered seat for two or more. A settee is much the same piece of furniture except that it is usually smaller, designed for use by only two people, and less elaborate.

As mentioned earlier, the three-piece set in today's question was made circa 1900, but there is some debate as to how to describe the style. In the photograph, the wood appears to be mahogany. This observation is significant because it means this set could be English in origin — and that circumstance has an impact on how this furniture is portrayed.

If England is the place of manufacture, it is proper to call this set Edwardian after King Edward VII, son of Queen Victoria, who ruled after her death from 1901 to 1910. However, purists find it inappropriate to refer to an American-made piece of furniture crafted in this style during this time period as Edwardian, but they then struggle to find a better, more appropriate term.

Recently, we have heard American furniture of this sort called Belle Epoque, but we feel this may be just as problematic. The term refers to a time period that ranged from the late Victorian to the beginning of World War I. French for “beautiful era,” the term is often applied to European social history. This phrase is used to describe everything from architecture to couture clothing; in the United States, it is not uncommon to hear it applied to the same range of items and circumstances.

Belle Epoque fits this furniture in a way, but these pieces are also crafted in a style that owes to the influence of Art Nouveau. The curving lines and tendrils and the beautiful flower (it may be an orchid) in the center of the sofa's back are all derived from the Art Nouveau style; and although these pieces are not as elaborate as many true Art Nouveau pieces of furniture, this term works as well as the others.

So you can take your pick — Edwardian, Belle Epoque or Art Nouveau — they all work in one way or another. As for the insurance-replacement value, this parlor set should be valued in the $800 to $1,200 range.

• Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928.