This post is part of a series revealing the table of contents of upcoming Issue Twenty. As is our custom, we’ll be discussing one article per weekday in order to give you a taste of what is to come.
The subscription window that includes Issue Twenty is open now.
To get Issue Twenty when it ships in early April, you can sign up for a subscription here.
If you aren’t sure about your subscription status, you can reach out to Grace at info@mortiseandtenonmag.com. Keep in mind though, if you are set to auto-renew, you never have to worry about getting the next issue of Mortise & Tenon. Issue Twenty is coming your way soon!
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“Provincial Pedigree: An Examination of a 19th-century French Ladderback Armchair”
Vernacular furniture – the chairs and tables of the rural countryside – often reflect some of the flashy style elements of their urban counterparts but without the dainty fragility. These objects were stoutly made to be used every day, which is why many have been worn out and lost after centuries of wear and abuse while untouched and unburdened high-style pieces made their way into museums.
In Issue Twenty, we will examine a 19th-century French chair that has seen some things. After generations of use and repair, it still endures. Made of humble oak with some elements shaped with a drawknife, it evokes Parisian fashion yet was accessible to farmers of ordinary means. The chair features unique joinery (including top rungs pierced by arm supports), a number of visible repairs, and a very old twisted cattail seat that is still sound.
And we will look at this piece from every angle. Turned posts show interesting layout lines, drawknife-carved rungs feature broad facets straight off the blade, and the arms are smoothed and rounded from centuries of hands resting there. Rescued years ago from a curbside trash pile, this chair still has plenty of life left in it.
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