Modern-day folding chairs are usually lightweight, compact, made from plastic and fairly inexpensive. But historically, folding chairs were used to seat royalty dating way back to ancient times in Egypt, Rome, Greece plus England. The chairs were mostly ornately adorned with inlaid wood plus ivory carvings, hand-crafted from exceptional wood. Later, throughout the Middle Ages, individuals used the folding chair as a religious piece for ritualistic purposes. Identifying antique folding chairs, if done properly, can uncover a wealth of historical significance, not to say monetary gain. 

Discover a maker’s mark or whole stamp on the chair by flipping the chair over. The maker’s mark is generally a combination of the manufacturer’s name or image with the date of creation. Makers typically stamped the marks on the underside of furniture, such as the bottom side of the chair seat. Look for marks of unevenness, tool marks, crystalized glue residue or maybe handmade nails as signs of hand craftsmanship. Handmade nails commonly have sq. heads, plus there may be blackened spots round the nail from iron corrosion. Be certain the chair has been used by finding marks of erosion. Look at  the worn elements principally around the feet’s base and chair rails. Additionally, check the thickness of the veneer. Thicker veneers were utilized in olden days as opposed to thinner veneers used now. Learn more about folding rocking chairs here.

Check how the chair is made, more specifically, a method called mortise plus tenon, where parts are cut just like jigsaw puzzles plus fitted together with glue and nails. Identify the genre of the chair by design plus materials used to build it. The design can fall into classes like Georgian, Victorian, Queen Anne, Federal American, etc. Look closely at the trims and decor of the chair plus compare it with the same period chairs falling into those styles. You can learn this with books or on-line resources. Visit auction homes or antique galleries to get a  feel for antiques. Beware of reproductions of an antique chair. Take a look at the authenticity by totally researching plus consulting with a reputable appraiser if needed.