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THBRare Queen Anne Black Painted Maple ‘Fiddle-Back’ Armchair
About Seller
20 Beach Street
Bloomfield, NJ 07003
United States
At Nye & Company, what you like is all you need to know. Knowledgeable, helpful staff members, as well as nationally-known experts, work together to find the antiques and collectibles that will become your children’s heirlooms, all within your budget. John and Kathleen Nye acquired Dawson’s after hi...Read more
Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Two ways to bid:
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About Auction
LiveJan 21, 2026
Discover a remarkable offering from the Collection of Leslie and Peter Warwick of Middletown, New Jersey. This unreserved auction presents an opportunity to acquire pieces selected over decades of thoughtful collecting. Join us on January 21, 2026, for a sale rich in character, craftsmanship, and charm. Nye & Co. info@nyeandcompany.com
View Full Catalog (367)
- Lot Description
Rare Queen Anne Black Painted Maple ‘Fiddle-Back’ Armchair
Attributed to Hendrick Smock (1737-1786), Holmdel, Monmouth County, New Jersey, circa 1775.
The chair is one of two known attributed to turner Hendrick Smock of Holmdel, Monmouth County, NJ. It is nearly identical to an armchair (acc. no. 1991.548) and three side chairs (acc. nos. 1991.515, 1991.510.1, and 1991.510.2) in the collection of the Monmouth County Historical Association.
Chairs of this distinctive group represent a Monmouth County variant of New York fiddleback chairs. All of them share the same details of workmanship, such as the cut shape of the crest rail, an asymmetrical or lopsided splat, rounded ends of the shoe, turning details of the front and rear styles, bulbous turned front stretchers, conical shaped stretcher terminals, and double pad feet.
Several chairs related in form and workmanship to this example retain histories of ownership in the Holmdel and Colts Neck area of Monmouth County, NJ. The earliest local reference to fiddleback chairs appears in the estate inventory of Jacob Van Dorn (1703-1779) taken on April 9, 1779. It refers to "14 fiddle back chairs" which along with 28 common chairs were valued at 12 pounds. Presumably, the fiddlebacks were not new at the time. Van Dorn, a highly successful farmer and miller with a substantial estate appraised at 2307 pounds, also engaged at some level as a carpenter/joiner. The inventory makes reference to "some mahogany boards, hunges and glass for a clock case," plus "some carpinder (sic) tools" valued at 10 pounds. But Van Dorn lacked a lathe so is not considered the maker of these chairs. One side chair from the group formed part of the early furnishing of MCHA's Holmes-Hendrickson House. The estate inventory of Garret Garrick Hendrickson (1734-1801) taken on December 29, 1801, refers to "6 fiddle back chairs" in the front parlor of the house that were appraised at 1 pound 14 shillings. Another side chair of identical form came from nearby Longstreet farm when its contents were sold in 1977. This large armchair by the same maker was purchased in the early 1930s by Mrs. Amory Haskell a prominent Americana collector. It bears a handwritten label that reads "From Mrs. William Bucklin who lived in the Phalanx, in Colts Neck, NJ. Mr. and Mrs. Bucklin "purchased it from Colts Neck about 40 years ago from some family who lived at C.N. (Colts Neck)". The Hendrickson, Longstreet, and Bucklin chairs, plus the Van Dorn reference all fall in a geographic area about 5 miles in diameter in what is now Holmdel and Colts Neck. In the very center of this cluster was a farmer and turner named Hendrick Smock (1737-1786). Smock's inventory includes "One old Turning lathe" valued at 3 shillings 9 pence, plus a demand against the estate of Jacob Van Dorn for 100 pounds as allowed by his executors.
Assuming these chairs might date as early as 1770-1785, then Smock may well have made them. Certainly, their turned elements are more skillfully rendered than the carpentry components such as the crest rail and lop-sided splat. He was buried in the Smock cemetery on Long Bridge Road in Holmdel. Unfortunately, his tombstone was vandalized along with several others.
Provenance: Skinner Inc., Bolton, Massachusetts;
Jonathan Trace, Portsmouth, New Hampshire;
Joseph Hammond, Freehold, New Jersey
43 x 25 1/2 x 21 in. (109.2 x 64.8 x 53.3 cm.)Condition
Crack and repair to face of crest at center. Minor chips and wear to tips of crest at center. Cracks, repairs, and possible patches to splat. Crest repinned. Seat re-rushed chip to underside of front stretcher. Shrinkage cracks to all feet. Stretches repinned. Wear to painted surface chair is sturdy but loose. Typical bruising and wear consistent with age and use. Otherwise, good condition.
Thank you for your interest in our upcoming sale. Please be aware that all property is sold ‘as is’ and should be viewed in person or by a professional before the sale to fully assess the condition. This condition report has been prepared as a courtesy by Nye & Company specialists and should not be viewed as a substitute for physical examination by you and/or your professional advisor. Nye & Company specialists are not trained restorers/conservators, and the report is not as detailed as a comprehensive report that would be created by a professional advisor. We will do our best to make reliable observations on the work, which we hope will be helpful to you, we strongly recommend you enlist the help of a professional advisor to prepare a more complete report. While we try to photograph items as accurately as possible, please note that digital photography and images, especially when viewed through computer screens, may present colors that differ slightly from the colors of the object when viewed in person. We also wish to respectfully remind you that the Nye & Company warranties pertaining to the property are limited and set forth in our Conditions of Sale and do not extend to condition.
PLEASE NOTE THAT AS OF JANUARY 1ST 2023 THE NYE & COMPANY BUYER’S PREMIUM HAS BEEN RAISED FROM 23% TO 25%.
Condition reports are not provided in catalog descriptions. The absence of a condition report does not guarantee that the lot is in good condition or free from damage and wear. We encourage you to requisite a condition report and/or additional photos prior to bidding on any lot. We also recommended asking for a shipping quote before bidding as well. CASH, CASHIER CHECK, MONEY ORDER, AND WIRE TRANSFER ARE ONLY METHODS OF PAYMENT ACCEPTED FOR JEWELRY.
- Shipping Info
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We are now working with The Packengers, you will be emailed a shipping quote within 7 days after the auction. You can also reach out to them at hellonyc@thepackengers.com
For questions regarding shipping, please email ron@nyeandcompany.com.
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