18th-Century Connecticut Corner Chair

Appraised on: August 14, 2004

Appraised in: Reno, Nevada

Appraised by: John Hays

Category: Furniture

Episode Info: Reno, Hour 2 (#911)

Originally Aired: April 4, 2005

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (2:23)

GUEST: Well, this chair was known as the captain's chair, and it came from my mother's family, which originally was in New Haven, Connecticut. And this family had a shipping business in the 1700s and 1800s, and we think it was used by my grandfather. It was originally owned by... Maybe my great-great-grandfather, who was in the sailing-ship business, and it may have come from Jamaica, because they did have a trade with the West Indies, and it might have been a Jamaican planter's chair, but we don't know how old it is or if that is true.

APPRAISER: It was very exciting for all of us on the furniture table when we saw you come in, because each and every one of us said, "There goes a Connecticut corner chair."

GUEST: Oh, really?

APPRAISER: And it's very distinctive regionally. It's made of cherrywood, a very popular wood used in Connecticut. It has these baluster turnings, and the turnings continue down to the floor here. But even more importantly, coastal Connecticut-- Stonington and New Haven-- has this very regional and very distinctive cabinetmaking style. And what was exciting for me, really, is the condition of this chair. It has its original surface. And if we tip the chair back, I also want you to see this leatherette right here, which was put on later, covered the original rush seat. Most chairs-- the rush seat gets destroyed. It's somewhat fragile. And here it has all of its original rush, all oxidized, and it's in place here. So, it's a corner chair with its original rush seat. And collectors love originality, and they love to see objects that are regionally distinct like this. They know it's from New Haven, and this corner chair was probably made about 1780 to 1800.

GUEST: Oh, really? Well, that's so interesting.

APPRAISER: And its value... Of course it's priceless for your family, intrinsic value, but it actually is worth about $7,000 to $10,000.

GUEST: Oh, my goodness. Well, we'll be more careful of it.

APPRAISER: Thank you so much for bringing it in to the ROADSHOW.

GUEST: Well, thank you so much for telling me about it.