The simple look of a Mission desk
The most valuable Stickley Furniture, prized by antique collectors and sought after at auctions, was designed by the American furniture-maker and architect Gustav Stickley between 1900 and 1915. It should not be confused with the furniture designed by his four brothers or other manufacturers--particularly those companies of the same period who were mass-producing furniture predominantly in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Does this Spark an idea?
History
Slated backs and seats are characteristics of Mission furniture.
Gustav Stickley created furniture that emphasized craftsmanship and simplicity, earmarks of the Mission style, which challenged the ornateness of the Victorian period. Stickley, who lived from 1858 to 1942, became the artistic founder and major creator of Mission style. At his manufacturing facility In New York, he developed techniques that combined large-scale factory production with that of individual craftsmen who assembled and finished the pieces. Gustav Stickley disdained the shoddy, mass-produced pieces that were available to the growing middle class of his day.
Design Elements
Grain was emphasized in Mission furniture.
G. Stickley's "Craftsman furniture," as he called it, had little decoration except for corbels--a type of architectural support--that added strength to overhanging table tops and heavy chair arms. He used only American hardwoods, specifically red or white oak, and developed techniques that highlighted the grain in woods. His chairs and tables were straight-legged; and his chairs and couches had slated backs. He used hammered nail-heads for his dark-leather upholstery; and his pulls, latches and hinges were most often hand-made pewter or copper.
Identification
Because there were many imitations of Gustav Stickley's designs, he marked his furniture with decals, brands and/or paper labels. He first used the decal, a design imprinted on special paper used to transfer it, in 1902. He signed the decals in a rectangular box beneath the image of an inverted horseshoe. His decals were in shades of red; and his paper labels were whitish and larger: up to 4 by 6 inches. These identifying marks are located under table tops and on the center backs of bookcases, cabinets and sideboards. They can also be found inside drawers and underneath chair cushions and chair arms, unless the piece was refinished or reupholstered--in which cases, marks may have been removed.
Missing Marks
Sometimes pieces believed to be that of G. Stickley's are found, but the identifying marks are missing. First be certain such markings are, in fact, absent. Take the piece outside in the sunlight or use a flashlight indoors to examine it. Sometimes a shadow exists where markings once were. When nothing is found, study the piece for G. Stickley's construction methods and consult Gustav Stickley's catalog.
Types
Gustav Stickley produced a wide range of furniture, including several types of chairs, from rocking to straight-back and Morris-style reclining chairs with adjustable backs. He manufactured one- and two-door cabinets, sideboards, servers, writing desks and even hex (six-sided) tables.
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