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I
came across this rocking chair at the Kane County Flea Market
last August. I apologize for the clutter, but I had just finished a
week of shooting about 1000 photos at the 08' National in
Rosemont. It was my last day in Illinois and my plane didn't
leave till that evening so I drove out to the Kane County Flea.
It was my first trip there. I was told not to expect much,
and they were right; I hardly saw anything worth shooting...then
I came upon this chair and was taken back. Actually it was in
very nice shape; just needed some polishing. The guy selling it
was packing up for the day. His name was Dale Robinson and his
family owned the market.
This
is
the only example of this chair I've ever seen. There's a very similar set of mission
oak style  furniture
with a baseball scene, which this reminded me of. I think the
baseball set includes a rocking chair, regular chair, a love
seat....and I've heard of a bed but not sure if there really is
one as I've never seen it. I
wrote a little about these in a review of the Hunt November
2005 Live Auction
But
getting back to this chair, the engraving of the bowling scene
looks quite German to me.  That's interesting because mission oak
style furniture originated in America. According to Pete Maloney
of gustavstickley.com
"The mission style furniture design was based on a chair that had been designed for the Swedenborgian Church of the New Jerusalem in San Francisco, circa 1894-1985."
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Photo
courtesy Hunt Auctions |
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At
first glance the afore mentioned baseball rocking chair and this
bowling one look very similar, and I thought possibly they could
have been made by the same maker. But when you study them
closely there are some marked differences in design. The
engraved scene of the bowling one is considerably taller and
acts to support the lower back. While the baseball one utilizes
slats to support the lower back. Also, the cross support beneath
the seat cushion of the bowling one is much taller. The tops of
the arm rests of the bowling one is more flared, while the
baseball one uses a straighter simpler design. Overall the
bowling one looks more stout, and perhaps better built.
As
a specialist in vintage athletic display pieces, now
and then I see unique antique bowling items, but this
is probably the best bowling piece I've ever seen. So the
$1,500.00 the guy was asking really wasn't a bad price I
don't think. The
baseball mission oak style rocking chair pictured above sold in Hunt
Auctions October 2005 auction for $4,100.00....but of course
it was baseball....and this is bowling! Only a slight difference
in popularity. But really the
bowling one seems to be more rare.
I
can see it now if I'd have bought it that day and tried to bluff
my way on the plane with it..."Hey I brought my own seat,
no big deal, what's the problem" The other passengers could
have squeezed around me in the center isle.
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