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  SET OF 6 SALMON PAINTED, PLANK-SEAT, LYRE BACK, PENNSYLVANIA CHAIRS WITH YELLOW STRIPING AND ROSE DECORATION, CA 1845-1865
Dimensions (inches): 33" tall x 18" wide x 14.5" deep with 13.25" seat height 18" 14.5" seat: 13.25"
Description:
Set of 6 paint-decorated, Pennsylvania, plank-seated chairs of the mid-19th century (1845-65), with lyre or bootjack-style back slats and angel wing crest rails. The background is salmon with bold, yellow striping, trimmed out in black, and the bulbous turnings painted metallic gold. The elaborate embellishment of floral decoration and scrollwork is common to many chairs and benches made in rural Pennsylvania during this period. The primary elements on each chair consist of a pair of red/dark pink and white roses, beneath and flanked by unopened buds and greenery. More rosebuds adorn the back slats and the front of the seats. The salmon ground is something I have encountered before, but is both rare and beautiful.

The origin of this chair type in Pennsylvania was a more durable outgrowth of the urban Windsor. Production began in the 1840’s and had virtually ceased by 1880. Chairs were often made by one person and painted by another, although in the same shop. Most historians feel that they were made to order with regard to decoration style, color, and to some degree, construction. It is almost unheard of, however, to see any more than 6 matching Pennsylvania plank seat chairs. This is a bit hard to explain given the large size of rural families, but the chairs must have been costly enough to make the purchase of more than 6 an extravagant undertaking for most rural households.

Measurements: 33" tall x 18" wide x 14.5" deep with 13.25" seat height 18" 14.5" seat: 13.25"

Condition: The paint surface is original. Some expected wear, fading, and paint loss.
   
Primary Color: salmon, yellow
Earliest Date: 1845
Latest Date: 1865
For Sale Status: Sold
Price $5,500
E-mail: info@jeffbridgman.com
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