Page 53 - INVENTORYvol.1

Vernacular chair. Sold at Neal Auction Company, New Orleans, LA, 05/17/2003, lot 227. Estimate: $2,500-$3,500. Realized: $10,925 (including buyer's premium).
62
Andrew Richmond PO Box 2199 Marietta, OH 45750 740.760.1788 andrew@wipiak.com
(LCF25)
Location: Maison Chenal, Upper Main Room FAIR MARKET VALUE: $9,500
Category: Funiture (Creole)
Creole-Style Upholstered Armchair
Louisiana 1790-1810
Cherry and Cypress
Shaped crest, carved and scrolled arms on cabriole supports, over a serpentine seat and tapered legs; with silk-upholstered back and seat.
36.5" high
Condition:Good; later upholstery
This armchair served as the presider’s chair in the original St. Martin de tours Church in St. Martinville
Early Louisiana upholstered furniture does not survive in great numbers. This chair amy appear simple, but in fact it's a deceptively complex mix of combination of baroque, rococo, and neoclassical French designs, likely made by a highly trained and acculturated Creole cabinetmaker. Illustrated and discussed in Holden et alF, urnishing Louisiana, p. 317.
Value Support
Nothing similar could be found in fifteen years of auction records. None of the three comparable sales are good matches for the subject chair, but together, allow us to extrapolate a value. Comparable 1 is the closest stylistically to the subject chair, but is Candadian (and thus far less valuable). Comparable 2 is from Louisiana and upholstered, but a very different type of chair (and again, less valuable). Comparable 3 is a vernacular chair with no upholstery, but it illustrates the strength of the Louisiana chair market. When considered against these three comparables, the subject chair falls at the upper end of the range, and even a bit beyond given its early date and
Jack and Pat Holden
Fair Market Value for Non-Cash Charitable Contribution
Appraisal Report
Effective Valuation Date: 00/00/00 page 53 of 851