This chair has been in my family for over 80 years and is in very good condition. I was wondering if it is Queen Anne, Louis XV, or French Country style? I've heard it called all three. Also, what is something like this worth?
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The worth depends on the manufacturer and what someone is willing to pay. It is a type of wing chair. Look underneath the cushions and under the chair for identifying markings.
Your chair looks to be in very good condition but it is difficult to tell just seeing pictures.
You are saying this chair is from the 1930's or earlier?
Do you have any other provenance information;
Such as was it purchased new? - store? - used? - city?
Markings/names/numbers? Look under cushions, bottom of chair and back of legs. Knowing the brand will have a big influence on the value of your chair.
When searching (as you have been doing) you will find this type chair listed under all of these names and more. That is because most of the sellers do not know the official name of this style. But even knowledgeable sellers will still show it under any or several of these names because these are the names the general public look for.
You can research each of these names on Google and check images; you will find some of the same chairs listed under every name.
If you add 'wing' chair you will most likely find all of the chairs listed under other names.
Wing chair is still the most popular description.
All of the points of your chair; wing style, wood carving, wood placement, leg style, upholstery, will mean something to an appraiser but not to the general public. Most people will be looking for a 'style' of chair for their particular home and may not care if it exactly a 'Queen Anne' style.
Still - where you live may have a big bearing on value as some areas are into this type of furniture while another area will not give it a second glance.
I say area as shipping is expensive so most sellers list items as local pick up but some people will pay the shipping if it is something they really want.
I did find some similar chairs that have sold in the past (not very much money) but I do not believe these are good representatives of current value. However, you can sometimes gain useful information from these listings.
www.ebth.com/
Here is one current listing that you can keep checking to see if it sells.
www.etsy.com/
Here is a link with style information.
homeguides.sfgate.com/
homeguides.sfgate.com/
I am a big believer in using free online appraisers as I have gained a lot of information from some of these but it does take a little work to present your item.
They need very good pictures with full front view, back view, side view, up close legs, bottom/underneath and all provenance that you can find, and measurements help also.
Here is a link to free sites if you are interested.
www.whatsellsbest.com/
Here is a link to a 'pay' appraisal site ($20 I believe).
www.kovels.com/
Pghgirl will probably give more information as she knows a lot about styles and history.
What a pretty chair!! People have lost their manners for respecting furniture styles these days and sadly, many people selling things don't care much to use the right terminology for furniture.
You will see like chairs being described in such simple terms as burgundy velvet chair or velvet high back chair. Sometimes people get very good bargains on very valuable pieces because sellers don't do their research and don't know what they have...so I encourage you to seek out in person expert help (see below).
To me the rounded back and arms lend to being a Louis XV "style" chair.
This website has some clear explanations and photos that talk about the various "Louis" styles:
This style of chair has been made and remade by many makers and in many places and over many, many, many years, so what you have will depend a lot on (as cybergrannie said) you knowing more about the actual age and history of the chair and if it does have any marks on it (as Judy mentioned).
Where I am in Pittsburgh, the chair market is very soft (no pun intended) and if the chair was not branded and had no history it may fetch $75- $100s.
If it was a brand and had history, it may fetch more, but it would depend on getting it into the right market in the right neighborhood.
We have some lovely old homes in the city where this would be a period piece for someone trying to have their home be period specific. Those folks often pay more for things than they do in my little town, where sadly, I have seen chairs like this out by the curb for trash pick up.
I guess my point is the value will be dependent on any things including where you are, the brand, the condition, and your access to a place to sell it to get the most exposure.
There are still places where this type of chair is highly sought after and in those places it may fetch more than in places where there are a lot of similar items.
I can tell from my online sales trolling that this type of chair still sells very consistently in Europe and fetches decent money (from the low $100s to the mid $500s) depending on condition, brand, etc.
If you have a good antique dealer in your town, pay a visit with lots of photos (or take the chair if you can). They can tell you what to expect where you are.
Post back with updates! Thanks for sharing!
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