Artmink

Period Portuguese Baroque Walnut High-Back Caned Side Chairs (Pair)

By: Unknown cabinetmaker

Style: Portuguese Baroque (early 18th century)

Origin: Portugal

Materials: Walnut (frames), rattan cane (seat and back), iron/brass repair plates and slotted screws; pegged mortise-and-tenon joinery

Age: Circa 1700–1730

Condition: Fair (heavy wear, broken/replaced caning, woodworm losses, shrinkage cracks, old repair plates; stable but tired)

Value: $600–$1,200 (pair, auction estimate)

Maker's Marks / Writing: No maker’s marks observed.

Date: 2025-10-18 02:15:13.627750

Description:

Near pair of tall side chairs with arched, scrolled cresting and caned back and seat; block-and-baluster turned front legs joined by bulbous front stretcher and box stretchers; hoof-like feet. Surfaces with deep patina, scattered woodworm holes and old restorations. Likely walnut with rattan cane.

Curator Questions

Curated by Jade

Assessment:

These are convincing period Iberian (Portuguese) Baroque high-back caned side chairs. The domed caned backs with scrolled ‘ears,’ the block-and-baluster turnings with a melon front stretcher, and the hoof-like feet are classic Portuguese features. The detail photos show: hand-carved asymmetries, shrinkage cracks, numerous historic woodworm holes typical of old walnut, worn finish, broken/replaced caning, and old brass/iron repair plates with slotted screws—consistent with early 18th-century use and subsequent maintenance. The two chairs are not perfectly identical, suggesting a near pair assembled in period or early on. Condition is worn but honest, and they read as period examples rather than later copies. A word about fakes.. Iberian/colonial Baroque chairs are often reproduced in the 19th–20th centuries; machine-turned uniform parts, glossy new finishes, modern Phillips screws, and perfect symmetry would be red flags. These photos instead show age-appropriate irregularities and restorations.

Individual Images:

• none

Provenance:

No provenance provided.

Condition:

Fair (heavy wear, broken/replaced caning, woodworm losses, shrinkage cracks, old repair plates; stable but tired)

Identification Score: 85%

Form, turnings, scrolled cresting, cane work and construction match Portuguese Baroque side chairs, early 18th century; multiple period traits present across all views.

Authenticity Score: 68%

Strong signs of age and handwork (patina, worming, shrinkage, early repairs, slotted screws, irregular turnings) support period origin, but without physical inspection and given prevalence of later revivals, some uncertainty remains.

Image Memory Note

None     None

Keywords

Portuguese Baroque, period chair, walnut, caned seat, high-back chair, Iberian furniture, early 18th century, Portugal, side chairs, pair

Report ID:  : jgvg6s

Comparables (Similar Items)

eBay: Active Listings

No archived comparables matched this report yet.