A curious brown chair in a Brooklyn brownstone gives up its secrets...

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A young couple, both university professors, were settling in to a furnished brownstone inherited from an aunt. Scanning the room during a visit, my curiosity was piqued by a dusty chair covered with books. 

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The decorative carvings on the slats and the contours of the chair revealed remarkable skill and craftsmanship. The carved initials "CR” revealed its identity: a hall chair from 1900 made by renowned arts and crafts furniture maker, Charles Rholfs. 

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Recognizing the chair’s importance in the Arts and Crafts Movement, our firm recommended a sale in a  specialized market at a Chicago based auction house, where it sold to a private collector. 

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Charles Rohlfs (1853-1936)

Hall Chair, 1900-1902

walnut