This chair was once thought to be a 19th century reproduction of a “Pilgrim”, or early American, style, chair. The paint color made it appear it was from the Victorian period (or mid-19th century) and there was very little wear to the arms of the chair, making it seem unlikely to be over three centuries old.
Conservation work has revealed many layers of history that date back to as early as 1680—and points to the craftspeople involved in its creation.
The seat of this chair is made out of woven cornhusks and may have been made by a local Native American weaver (likely from the Wampanoag or Narragansett tribes).
Today, the chair displays its many layers of history: from the craft of weaving the seat (likely woven by a Rhode Island Indigenous woman), the early (but not original) layer of blue paint the reflects the design taste of the early 1800s, to the ca. 1850 dark red and gold paint visible today.
