Finding an antique Morris chair is really going to take a lot of patience and some basic knowledge about the furniture. Since its conception in the 18th century, this popular furniture has become extremely rare and is mostly available in certain stores only. That’s why it’s real important that you should always be cautious when buying an antique chair to avoid wasting thousands of dollars.
Antique Morris chairs are considered the grand daddy of all modern recliners and even those that were made at a later period in the past. This furniture was the result of the ingenious work of William Morris, who invented this in England on 1866. An antique Morris chair is admired because of its overall simplicity (there’s no intricate wood detailing involve), and, most importantly, its reclining high back rest. This chair has padded leather or fabric woven upholsteries, which are absent on its paddle-like armrests.
Due to its functional and exceptional artistic features, these chairs were quickly adopted by many furniture makers of the past, like Gustav Stickley. His versions of Morris chairs were mostly made from quarter sawn wood materials, which are preferred because of its precised angle cutting and sturdy quality. Most of them have leather upholsteries and have slats under the armrests. Gustav Stickley’s Morris chairs are rare, but not as extremely rare as the ones actually made by William Morris and Company.
Since these chairs are very hard to find, you could expect that the price would also cost you a bundle. Some of Gustav Stickley Morris chair could even go as high as $17,000 a piece. Other factors that could influence the pricing include the item’s age, condition, design, and the seller’s evaluation. With this kind of expensive investment, you should really be aware if it’s a replica or if any updates were made on the chair – newly upholstered cushions or replaced parts. Normally, recent versions are defined by their lower armrests, removable cushions, and easy-to-operate reclining backrest.
If you browse through different online auction or antique sites, you’ll find Morris antique chairs that were generally made by Gustav Stickley. A good way of proving their authenticity is to look for a decal or label that shows the name of the manufacturer or maker. Instead of paper labels, some models would have engraved names of the furniture maker. It would also help if you will ask additional information or other essential certification from the seller to prove the authenticity of the Morris chair.
Researching is always your best weapon in order to protect your investment. It might be tiring, but it will always work to your advantage. Get to know distinctive features of thes fine chairs, including their transformations throughout the years. Some of the great sites you could visit for your antique Morris chair needs are BargainJohn.com and Webteek.com.
