Is This A Civil War Era Item?

Wow. Thanks for the link! These chairs are beautiful and there is so much information in that thread. Maybe we should bump it for the benefit of newbies like me?
I once sold a chair at a garage sale for $3 and the buyer couldn't get the money out of his wallet fast enough. After he had a firm grip on it, he told me he thought it was worth at least $300. So I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer 🙁
 
Wow. Thanks for the link! These chairs are beautiful and there is so much information in that thread. Maybe we should bump it for the benefit of newbies like me?
I once sold a chair at a garage sale for $3 and the buyer couldn't get the money out of his wallet fast enough. After he had a firm grip on it, he told me he thought it was worth at least $300. So I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer 🙁
I just did, but other comments are certainly welcome! So, what was your former $3 chair like?
 
I just did, but other comments are certainly welcome! So, what was your former $3 chair like?
I sold it because it was ugly (to me) and didn't fit in our house. It was a modern sort of chair, I think he said it from the Art Deco era. The clincher was that there was a stamp or tag on the bottom of the seat that confirmed the date and place of manufacture. He said only a few were made and it was somewhat rare to find one in such good condition.
 
I sold it because it was ugly (to me) and didn't fit in our house. It was a modern sort of chair, I think he said it from the Art Deco era. The clincher was that there was a stamp or tag on the bottom of the seat that confirmed the date and place of manufacture. He said only a few were made and it was somewhat rare to find one in such good condition.
Reminds me of some from that era I've seen appraised for Big Bucks on Antiques Roadshow. Somewhat unfortunately, most of the ones we seem to like have fallen out-of-fashion and therefore may not be worth as much as I've paid for some of mine.
 
Reminds me of some from that era I've seen appraised for Big Bucks on Antiques Roadshow. Somewhat unfortunately, most of the ones we seem to like have fallen out-of-fashion and therefore may not be worth as much as I've paid for some of mine.
"Brown is down," as the saying goes. None of my nieces or nephews is interested in any of my 19th-century furniture. They all want mid-century modern.
 
Hi @Reconstructed Rebel! I wasn’t available for most of the day. I took pictures of my firkin to show you what I mean and I’m glad you are willing to have an open mind. It makes learning sometimes disconcerting but it sure makes it more interesting!

This is the underside of the lid of the firkin

B91620C0-EADE-4EB1-AD6F-3DE8D44A7086.jpeg


This is the bottom of the firkin. You can just see part of the dull, blue paint still existing.
FFEA756B-2129-4481-B1AC-7D388CD5E34D.jpeg


This is what I really wanted to show you. See how the strapping is attached and how narrow the points are.
1F3BC5C1-02A3-489E-9BF5-8C603B989ACC.jpeg


Not the clearest but the this is how the points overlap
FD52CC04-05DB-4BCF-8B22-35A0D9EBB99F.jpeg
8971E54D-A913-4218-B6AE-EEF4B617287B.jpeg


Hard to get the inside but here it is.
B13AE892-A1C0-4070-99D6-500EFADC3589.jpeg
 
The basket is, I believe, called a buttocks basket. Other than that, I don’t know much about it. What area of the country did it come from? In some places, the Shakers made them and sold them, and in other places, Native Americans made them and sold them. But this design would be mostly Shaker and not Native American if it is old as you think. I’ve never seen one painted like that before, but I am extremely far from being knowledgeable about baskets!
 
Hi @Reconstructed Rebel! I wasn’t available for most of the day. I took pictures of my firkin to show you what I mean and I’m glad you are willing to have an open mind. It makes learning sometimes disconcerting but it sure makes it more interesting!

This is the underside of the lid of the firkin

View attachment 409905

This is the bottom of the firkin. You can just see part of the dull, blue paint still existing.
View attachment 409906

This is what I really wanted to show you. See how the strapping is attached and how narrow the points are.
View attachment 409907

Not the clearest but the this is how the points overlap
View attachment 409908View attachment 409909

Hard to get the inside but here it is.
View attachment 409910
I definitely see what you are referring to. There is an ocean of difference really. Mine doesn't look like it ever actually held water. A beautiful Firkin though! The stories it could tell 😉
 
The basket is, I believe, called a buttocks basket. Other than that, I don’t know much about it. What area of the country did it come from? In some places, the Shakers made them and sold them, and in other places, Native Americans made them and sold them. But this design would be mostly Shaker and not Native American if it is old as you think. I’ve never seen one painted like that before, but I am extremely far from being knowledgeable about baskets!
The name is actually perfect given the shape of the basket 😂 We lived very close to the Shaker community of Pleasant Hill in Kentucky (and we were there before they were) so that is a definite possibility. I'll see what I can dig up, now that I know the name. Thank you so much!
 
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