Believe it or not, there is...
Believe it or not, there is actually an historic precedent for this chair design. This particular example came from a fusion of Portuguese and Indian culture. We have similar ones in our old family house in Goa, one being a rocking chair. I'm not sure if the extended arm were intended to be used as footrests, but that is certainly how we use them.
So while a bit goofy-looking, the Nakashima chair is not too far removed from the Wegner Chinese chair.
I'd still look to sell/trade for something more in line with my tastes.
@mario thanks a lot. ...
@mario thanks a lot. Definitely didn't know that. Ash, teak, and oak have very similar grain patterns. I've attached another picture of a stamp I found on the bottom, even though it's not been identified. Thanks again.
I thought I recognized the legs, I should have picked up on Woodard...
Sorry, but there's no
good excuse for mistaking ash or oak for teak. Aside from the issue of color, the first two have open-grain spring wood which is not found in teak. One can't rely simply on the waves and swirls when identifying wood specie (which can be quite varied depending on cut but which are often quite similar across species, because virtually all trees have a structure composed of concentric cylinders). Texture is another very useful detail, not always evident in photos. The close-up photo above is very helpful . . .
Just because someone has it o...
Just because someone has it on Ebay as Nakashima, I am not convinced. The arms are definitely Nakashima-ish though. The thing with Nakashima is that he was an endless self promoter. Everything he made was well catalogued and can be traced with research. It may mean digging into stacks instead of just sitting at the computer. Locating some original Widdicomb ads with the chair in it. I've even heard tales of his greed. Getting people to come by the studio and pushing them to spend 20k on a piece of wood. I guess it was a bit of a turn off. Not the humble Japanese woodworker many people like to think of him as.
Not trying to rain on your parade. I do hope it's Nakashima. Every piece that is unearthed and restored is a bonus to the market. But hoping you take the time to definitively attribute it to him. So tired of the wannbe pickers and etsy resellers that think research involves finding the same piece on google images or on ebay. 🙁
p.s. If it's a Widdicomb chai...
p.s. If it's a Widdicomb chair...it's not just the wood that makes them heavy. It's the horsehair stuffing that has accumulated a lot of moisture and mold. Plan on reupholstering that nicely.
And btw-as far as people on Craigs selling out from under you...that's happening here too. I've had one local dealer consistently offer me more money for everything I put up on CL even after I tell her I've got someone on the way. She's a cow. I refuse to do it and won't sell her anything anymore. She's the most dishonest, disreputable person out there. She's ruined a lot of pickers lives by buying things instantly and then disputing it with pay pal, getting her money back and then refusing to return the item. She's also famous for buying things at garage sales and then going back to people six weeks or six months later and asking to return it if it hasn't sold in her shop. I know it's hard to make it as a dealer, but word travels fast in a small town. Absolutely everyone hates that woman now.
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