Gustav Stickley Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sewing Rocking Chair, Circa 1900
About the Item
- Creator:Gustav Stickley (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 34 in (86.36 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 24.25 in (61.6 cm)Seat Height: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Style:Arts and Crafts (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1900
- Condition:Very good vintage condition. Minor wear expected from age and use. Apparently unmarked. See photos. Shows beautifully.
- Seller Location:South Bend, IN
- Reference Number:
Gustav Stickley
Gustav Stickley was one of the principal figures in the American Arts and Crafts movement and the creator of the Craftsman style. As a furniture designer and publisher of the magazine The Craftsman, he adopted many of the ideals of the British design reform movement and popularized both its philosophy and its aesthetics in the United States.
Born in Wisconsin, Stickley moved with his family to Pennsylvania when he was a teenager and began working in his uncle’s chair factory in the town of Brandt. There, he learned the techniques of late-19th-century furniture making at a time when the vogue was for Victorian revival furniture, which was characterized by extensive ornamentation.
In 1883, Stickley established a furniture company called Stickley Brothers with two of his brothers, Albert and Charles (Gustav’s other siblings, Leopold and John George, would later form L & J.G. Stickley Inc.). When Stickley Brothers foundered, he partnered five years later with salesman Elgin Simonds to form a new firm, Stickley & Simonds, which produced traditional furniture that appealed to the burgeoning American middle class. The success of this venture enabled Stickley to travel to Europe, where he discovered the writings of John Ruskin and William Morris, the two preeminent thinkers of the British Arts and Crafts movement. Stickley also traveled to France, where the Art Nouveau movement impressed him with its imaginative designs and skilled craftsmanship.
Stickley parted ways with Simonds at the turn of the 20th century and decided to focus his creative energies on producing furniture in what became known as the Craftsman style, incorporating some of the elements of the designs and movements he had encountered in Europe.
The pieces Stickley created, which he stamped with the logo of a joiner’s compass, were rectilinear, largely free of ornament, made of oak, and built in such a way that the nature of their construction was plainly visible — all reflections of the tenets of the Arts and Crafts movement. While some people referred to Stickley’s furniture as Mission furniture — a term that references the furnishings of the Spanish missions in California — Gustav commonly called his work “Craftsman” owing to the inspiration he found in the British Arts and Crafts movement.
Stickley benches and rocking chairs were popular, and his leather-upholstered armchairs combine practicality, comfort and an understated silhouette. He also made side tables — an unusual example designed during the early 20th century was adorned with an octagonal Grueby Pottery tile in a cool shade of green, which made it an ideal piece for an art pottery collector.
In 1901, Stickley launched The Craftsman magazine, which contained articles on all manner of domestic topics, from gardening and cooking to art and design, as well as poetry and fiction. In addition to popularizing Stickely’s own designs, the magazine acquainted Americans with the Arts and Crafts style in all its forms through its graphic design and the bungalows, art pottery, and hammered-copper lamps pictured in its pages. It also encouraged readers to practice craft themselves, promoting an early form of the do-it-yourself ethos.
In 1904, Stickley founded the Craftsman Home Builders' Club, which allowed subscribers to his magazine to order architectural plans for the Arts and Crafts–style structures that were featured in its pages; eventually, this became one of its most popular features.
An ill-timed attempt to set up a New York showroom led to Stickley’s filing for bankruptcy in 1915. The outbreak of World War I, waning interest in the Arts and Crafts style, and increased competition all conspired to thwart Stickley's efforts. The Craftsman ceased publication a year later. When he died, in 1942, Arts and Crafts had been replaced by modernism as the favored aesthetic. It enjoyed a resurgence, however, in the 1970s, and Stickley is now regarded as one of the most important American designers in the first half of the 20th century.
Find antique Gustav Stickley tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: South Bend, IN
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Gustav Stickley Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sewing Rocking Chair, Circa 1900By Gustav StickleyLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous Mission oak Arts & Crafts sewing rocker By Gustav Stickley USA, Circa 1900 Solid quarter sawn oak, with tan leather seat. Measures: 17.25"W x 24.75"D x 31.25"H. Seat h...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Gustav Stickley Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sewing Rocking Chair, Circa 1900By Gustav StickleyLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous Mission oak Arts & Crafts sewing rocker By Gustav Stickley USA, Circa 1900 Solid quartersawn oak, with black leather seat. Measures: 18"W x 29"D x 33.5"H. Seat height:...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Gustav Stickley Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sewing Rocking ChairBy Gustav StickleyLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous antique Mission or Arts & Crafts sewing rocker By Gustav Stickley (model #2627) USA, Circa 1900 Solid quarter sawn oak, with brown leather seat. Measures: 18.25"W x 24...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Signed Gustav Stickley Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Sewing Rocking ChairBy Gustav StickleyLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous antique Mission or Arts & Crafts sewing or nursing rocker By Gustav Stickley USA, Circa 1900 Solid quarter sawn oak, with brown leather se...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Stickley Brothers Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Rocking Chair, Circa 1900By Stickley BrothersLocated in South Bend, INA gorgeous Mission oak Arts & Crafts rocker By Stickley Brothers USA, Circa 1900 Solid quarter sawn oak, with original olive green leather seat. Measures: 25.25"W x 27.5"D x 34.5...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- L. & J.G. Stickley Antique Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Rocking Chair, Circa 1900By L. & J.G. Stickley Inc.Located in South Bend, INA gorgeous Mission oak Arts & Crafts rocker By L. & J.G. Stickley USA, Circa 1900 Solid quarter sawn oak, with brown leather seat. Measures: 26.5"W x 29"D x 38.5"H. Seat height: ...Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- 1900 Gustav Stickely Early Arts & Crafts Mission Oak Youth Rocking ChairBy Gustav StickleyLocated in Monrovia, CAGUSTAV STICKLEY Early American Craftsman Mission Quarter Sawn Oak Youth Rocker 1900s. Early American Antique Piece Of Furniture and History. This Early Antique Craftsman Mission Quarter Sawn Oak Rocker Is Also Known As A Sewing Rocker. This Early American Arts and Crafts Rocker...Category
Antique Late 19th Century American American Craftsman Rocking Chairs
MaterialsWood, Oak
- Oak Arts & Crafts Mission Rocking Chair, 1900sLocated in Amsterdam, NLMagnificent and rare Arts & Crafts Mission rocking chair. Striking American design from the 1900s. Quarter-sawn oak frame with two hand-carved monks in the back rest. The rocking cha...Category
Antique Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak
- Arts & Crafts Gustav Stickley Mission Oak “V” Slat-Back Rocker C1910By Gustav StickleyLocated in Big Flats, NY***Ask About Reduced In-House Delivery Rates - Reliable Professional Service & Fully Insured*** Arts & Crafts Gustav Stickley Mission Oak “V” Slat-Back Rocker with Upholstered Seat,...Category
Early 20th Century American Mission Rocking Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Oak
- Arts & Crafts Mission Rocker by Gustav Stickley with New Leather SeatBy Gustav StickleyLocated in Port Jervis, NYFabulous Arts & Crafts rocking chair by Gustav Stickley, circa 1910. Quarter sawn oak with a new leather seat and padding. Mortise and tenon construction all pegged joints. Very comf...Category
Vintage 1910s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBrass
- Mission Oak Arts & Crafts Stickley Brothers Style Rocking Chair C1915By Stickley BrothersLocated in Port Jervis, NYArts & Crafts Mission Oak Rocking Chair in the style of the Stickley Bros. Quarter sawn oak and stained in a rich deep brown that has mellowed and aged over 100 years. Beautiful wide...Category
Vintage 1910s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak
- Arts & Crafts Mission Oak Slatted Rocking Chair attributed to Stickley BrothersBy Stickley BrothersLocated in Port Jervis, NYFabulous heavy duty slatted rocking chair in excellent antique condition attributed to the Stickley Brothers furniture Co. Deep rich color to the...Category
Vintage 1910s American Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Oak