Caned Side Chairs

CANED CHAIRS

Set of 3, walnut
c. 1855 - 1860 

Provenance: owned by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Location: on permanent display in Harriet’s bedroom and the back parlor

These chairs, with caned seats and abbreviated arms, are another decorative item Stowe recommended to women in her book The American Woman’s Home. They were kept in corners throughout the house and were brought out for guests. Of only five known photos of the interior of the house while Harriet lived here, one of these can be seen in the background.

Conservation needs: repair scratches; surface clean; and polish.