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Toward the late 1600s, antique chairs were normally made from
wood alone, held together by pegs at the joints. Often the wood could
be old pieces that were being re-used. In the next 200 years, their
construction became more sophisticated, with the frame and the joints
increasingly complex and sturdy. Then in the early 1800s, there was an
increase in machine-made chairs, or at least parts of the chair, as this
reduced the costs of production. Through the 1700s, the broad,
primitive rails gave way to smoother and narrower parts, and many of the
chairs were designed with a drop-in seat that was supported by the wide
frames. Some chairs, mostly from England used mortise and tenon joints
along with animal glue and no pegs. The back was one piece of wood along
with the back legs, making for a stronger chair. Chairs with large
corner blocks were eventually replaced by diagonal struts that
gave the chair much needed strength and allowed the rails to become
thinner. This used less wood and was more cost effective. As
individual pieces could be made in batches, a precursor to the
assembly-line, more chairs could be made faster to satisfy the
rapidly-increasing demand. Until the middle 1600s, chairs were heavy
and architectural. They were used by nobility and the wealthy, and
represented authority. The common folk had to settle for shorter
crudely-made stools and benches. It is the decoration of a chair that
points to its period in time. They could be finished with carvings,
veneer (covering cheaper woods with more expensive laminates),
marquetry (inlaying and enhancing by staining and coloring to
create picture mosaics) and parquetry (geometrical veneering),
brass inlay, gilding, lacquering, and painting, among others.
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