Mahogany parlor chairs are circa 1840
Q. My husband and I were given two identical antique mahogany chairs by an elderly man who had been the curator of our local museum. He also worked at a New York museum many years ago. Before he passed away he gave us the chairs and told us they are very valuable. We offered them to our newly built local museum, but the curator was not interested. The chairs are in perfect condition, and the cushions are covered with needlepoint. Each chair cushion has a paper label with the words "Do Not Remove This Tag Under Penalty of Law."
Could you give us any information about the chairs?
A. You have side chairs that were made around 1840. The style reflects the transition between the Empire period and the early Victorian period. The carved crest rail, the finger grip, the vase-shaped splat back, the serpentine seat and the reverse ogee-shape front legs are common Victorian design characteristics. The seats are slip seats; they can be easily removed from the frame. The label you describe is a warning label. Those were first used in the early 1900s so consumers knew what materials were in upholstery, pillows and mattresses. Having said that, the needlepoint is not original to the chairs; it was replaced some time in the 1900s. As a rule, most side chairs made in the early to mid-1800s were made of mahogany or walnut, and occasionally maple. They were used as parlor chairs.
Your side chairs would probably fetch $250 to $300 each in an antiques shop.
Q. This is a mark on set of dinnerware I inherited. It is a five-piece service for eight. All the serving pieces are included. Each dish is decorated with pastel flowers and gold bands. The set is in mint condition.
I would like to know the origin, history and value of my set. Can you tell me?
A. Your dinnerware was made by a porcelain factory founded by the Morimura brothers in Japan. They had offices in New York and imported porcelain dinnerware to the United States. This is a set of bone china. Bone china was made by mixing cow bones with feldspar, clay, quartz and kaolin. Pieces of bone china are fired at a lower heat than porcelain, giving them a brighter white, translucent appearance when held up to the light.
Your set was made in the early 1900s and its insurance value would probably be $200 to $400.
• 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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