Ladder-back Side Chair

Place Made
Walton County Georgia United States of America
Date Made
1790-1820
Medium
maple –split oak
Dimensions
HOA: 36″
HOA of seat: 15″
WOA: 18″
DOA: 14″
Accession Number
5560
Description
DESCRIPTION: Ladder-back turned side chair with original split oak seat; four undulating splats, dipping in the center, box stretchers, double stretchers on sides, front stretcher turned; acorn shaped finials, cylinder and ring turned rear post; front leg extends past seat rail; brown paint.

GROUP: This is part of an extensive group of vernacular turned chairs from Middle Georgia with a distinctive Franco-Germanic flavor. This particular example is significant for the survival of its original woven seat. The seat’s pattern is similar to Native American basketry, suggesting a direct tie to the Creek and Cherokee tribes that still inhabited vast stretches of Georgia when the chair was made.

This chair group was the subject of an exhibit and monograph by Dale L. Couch:
Couch, Dale L., “Echoes from the Continent: Franco-Germanic Chairs in Georgia” (Madison, Georgia: Madison-Morgan Cultural Center, 2010).

History
This chair has a loose discovery history in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Credit Line
MESDA Purchase Fund