Rocker (no. 2603)
Item
Title
Rocker (no. 2603)
Creator
United Crafts
Date
1901-02 (ca.)
Medium
Ash
Object No.
2018.19.12
Credit line
Gift of Gregg and Monique Seibert
Description
The enduring popularity of the rocking chair assured that–even though the form was a product of the eighteenth-century American colonies–it was never distant enough from memory to form part of the Colonial revival that swept throughout the United States in the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Described in a Vermont’s Northern Galaxy in 1844 as “wooden narcotics,” the rocker epitomized “comfort and luxurious ease” and–certainly by the early twentieth century–reinforced the notion of the home as a restorative space, a quiet sanctuary from the chaos of modern life.
Like many of the forms Stickley produced, this rocker is part of a pair that were frequently–as is the case with the examples at the Stickley Museum–purchased together. Not only did these pairs create a sense of visual cohesiveness in the room, but they also allowed Stickley to effectively increase his output of forms with just minimal adjustments to the design. This meant he was able to offer a broader range of products to consumers without incurring the expense of a new and separate design for each form.
Like many of the forms Stickley produced, this rocker is part of a pair that were frequently–as is the case with the examples at the Stickley Museum–purchased together. Not only did these pairs create a sense of visual cohesiveness in the room, but they also allowed Stickley to effectively increase his output of forms with just minimal adjustments to the design. This meant he was able to offer a broader range of products to consumers without incurring the expense of a new and separate design for each form.
Associated names
Gustav Stickley
Provenance
Purchased, en suite, by an undisclosed buyer, ca. 1901, then by descent. Dalton’s American Decorative Arts and Antiques (September 2001). Cathers and Dembrosky (by 2002). Gregg and Monique Seibert (2002).