18th century Delaware Valley ladderback armchair five slats flanked by turned stiles with ball finials, above a rush seat raised on turned legs with ball feet joined by a a bulbous trumpet and disc stretcher 50x24x24

Replacement Value: $12,250

These chairs were made along the Delaware River in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. They are characterized by the bulbous turnings on the front stretcher, turned front legs, concave and reverse graduated slats and bulbous finials. The Delaware Valley ladder back became very commonly used throughout Southeastern PA in the 18th century, and it is a chair type which was distinctive to Southeastern PA. There were ladder back chairs produced elsewhere there were New England ladder back chairs, New York ladder back chairs but the chairs produced in the Delaware Valley are distinctive. It is believed that they relate more closely to a Germanic prototype, as opposed to an English ladder back. The back splats are not only arched on the top, but the bottom as well.