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Thomas Chippendale and His Legendary Chairs

Chairs crafted by Thomas Chippendale were dazzling examples of quality furniture in their day. Today, they remain extraordinary examples of antique furniture. Chippendale style, ball and claw and ladder backs, theres lots to know. Heres your guide to one of the worlds most celebrated chairs.

Who is He.

Thomas Chippendale (1714-1779) was an English furniture maker in the mid 18th century whose work was influenced by English, French and Chinese furniture design.

A Book Made Him a Household Name.

In 1754, Thomas Chippendale published the first of three editions of his book, Gentleman and Cabinet-Makers Director. It put him on the map. This illustrated directory showed examples of the furniture that Thomas Chippendale could make for his customers. Wealthy clients could see illustrated examples, pick out the designs that they liked which would be handcrafted in his workshop. At the time, Thomas Chippendale probably didnt expect that this book would become so widely copied for so many years by other furniture makers. It continues to be used today.

A Claim to Fame.

Thomas Chippendale was the first non-reigning monarch to have a furniture style named after him. Before Thomas Chippendale, furniture styles were named after reigning Monarchs such as Louis XIV, George I, Queen Anne.

Chippendale versus Chippendale Style.

Anything made by Thomas Chippendales workshop in England is a Chippendale. Furniture made incorporating the features used by Thomas Chippendale is Chippendale-style. American Chippendale refers to Chippendale style furniture that was made in the US mostly in Philadelphia.

Chippendale Style Particulars.

The style reflected elements of the Rococo, Chinese, Gothic and Noeclassical styles. Deep hand carving was prevalent. Common motifs were of shells, lions, masques, eggs, darts and scrolls.

Favorite Wood.

Mahogany was preferred choice of wood for Chippendale style furniture. Solid wood; not veneers was often used because of the detailed carving involved.

A Lesson in Legs.

There are six basic style lions paw, ball and claw, the late Chippendale, the Marlborough, the club and the spade. Early Chippendale furniture used the cabriole leg which is a serpentine style ending with a lions paw, ball and claw or the club. The late Chippendale, Marlborough and spade were straight legs and appeared later in the period.

Seat Selection.

Chippendale style chairs were wood, upholstered or caned.

Chair Back Choice.

Upholstered, rail backs, ladder backs, rung back, splat backs, carved backs, ribband backs. The chair backs are one of the most definitive parts of the chair that typify the style. Ribband backs are carved to look like bow. Very few were made in the 18th century because it required expert craftsmen and was very time-consuming. And very few survived passed the 18th C. Most ribband back chairs around today were made in the 19th and 20th centuries.

What to Look for When Buying.

Look for original condition. Repairs and replacement lower the value. Actual pieces from Thomas Chippendales workshop are rare indeed. Make sure the provenance is strong documented when a dealer says it is a Thomas Chippendale versus a Chippendale style chair. Keep in mind that very few ribband back chairs survived from the 18th century. Be wary when someone tells you that they have one.

Reproductions Versus Antiques.

You can tell modern reproductions from the real thing by looking closely at the carving. Is it uniform in depth and symmetrical? If so, its a modern reproduction. Antique Chippendales would be hand carved which is irregular in depth and never exactly symmetrical because its virtually impossible for even a master artisan to achieve it.

Pricing.

Any Chippendale 18th century chair whether it was made by Thomas Chippendale himself or one of his contemporaries will cost several thousands of dollars. If its not in that price range, its most likely not 18th century. Even high quality modern reproductions can be pricey.

posted by nehavwguxec @ 4:04 PM 0 comments

OOPS! Did I Forget the Free Fun?

In my recent article Kids Just Wanna Have Fun I offered some ideas to keep your fun hungry kids happy. But, duhhhhh. . .I forgot the FREE FUN STUFF! Well ya know thats the most important stuff. I dont know where my mind was that day!

So, now that Ive seen the error of my ways, Let me share some more great activities we sometimes forget about as we get older. These timeless activities have been around for ages. Things that we enjoyed as kids are still fun for kids today. Even in an electronic society!

If you have kids, most likely you have a box of crayons somewhere. I hate to admit it but I still love to color! Come on, give it a try no matter how old you are. I have found that it is contagious. Even if your kids think they are "too old" for coloring, you will be surprised how quickly they join in when they see you enjoying it! Go ahead, it works every time.

Silly putty is another fun activity that we tend to think e're "too old" for. But the older you get the more creative ideas you have and the more silly fun you can have. So come on, get your creative juices flowing.

Hey ladies, and maybe some of you gents too, do you remember paper dolls? I had almost forgotten they existed until one Christmas I came across a paper doll kit in a craft store. Suddenly, I remembered the hours and hours of fun I had playing with these simple toys. And, they are so much easier to dress than Barbie. Sorry Barbie.

There are literally thousands of craft ideas that can keep you busy for hours or days. Crafts come in all different levels of difficulty. So find one that suits everyone in the family and work on it together. Hmmmm, could this mean more conversation time! Take advantage of these fun times together. Get to know your kids better.

You can also choose a variety of different level crafts to suit everyone and work on different crafts all at once. Either way, you're accomplishing several things at once...

Children LEARN through creating.

You'll be keeping that FUN meter up, keeping them from getting bored.

You'll be SAVING MOMEY on outings by finding creative ways to have fun at home.

You'll have more "QUALITY TIME" to get to really know your kids!

Need some ideas? Just visit your local craft stores or do a search online. Check out FamilyFun.com for some super ideas for having creative fun with the family. Youll find arts and crafts, party and game ideas, parenting help, recipes, and even travel ideas.

If you're into quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting........well if you are, you know the possibilities here. It's not just for "old folks"! Get the kids involved. There are kits created for these activities. Kits created specifically to get children interested and having fun doing these activities.

There are so many wonderful ideas for crafting the possibilities are mind blowing. One walk around your local craft store and Ill bet you can come up with a craft idea for each week of the year, at least, if not two or three per week! Take a pen and paper. There's so much to take in!

Crafts for painting, sewing, candle making, transfers and art supplies that personalize items (purses, shirts, bandanas, jewelry, tote bags ..etc.), drawing, knitting, quilting, doll making, puzzles, woodworking, scrap booking..well I could go on and on. But, best thing for you to do is get on down to that craft store and get some ideas.

Please, dont buy everything you see! JUST GET IDEAS. Keep a notepad of ideas and then remember to look for arts and crafts supplies in your thrift stores, consignment shops, and at yard sales.

Oh, and dont forget to recycle items you might normally trash. Keeping a good supply of these items will help keep expenses down. Things like, scraps of fabric, ribbon, paper, egg cartons, coffee cans (all sizes), Styrofoam (packing pieces or sheets) wrapping paper scraps, buttons, toilet paper and paper towel tubes. Dont throw away anything that you could possibly use in a craft project. Dont get carried away though. Never keep more than you have room to store comfortably.

Seriously people, HAVE FUN WITH YOUR KIDS! They wont be kids forever, and believe it or not.You WILL miss them when theyre all grown up and out the door!

posted by nehavwguxec @ 1:14 AM 0 comments