The purpose of this guide is to assist you in evaluating quality mission furniture from pieces of lesser quality.

Most period mission, also know as arts & crafts, furniture was made from quartersawn white oak although there was also a fair amount of furniture made from mahogany.  There were basically two centers of manufacturing, one located in central New York and the other near Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Between 1900 and the 1920's I have been told there were over 200 companies in the US making this style of furniture,  And not all of it was created equal.

Furniture of this genre will have very straight lines (no turned legs, claw feet or paw feet).  The movemnet started in England as a rebellion to the excessive ornateness of the Victorian era.  It was also a reaction to the cheap and shody furniture being mass produced at the beginning of the industrial age in England by returning to well made furniture.

At the high end of the scale were the various companies owned by the five Stickley brothers, Gustav, John George, Leapold, Albert and Charles. Their companies included Stickley Brothers founded in 1895, and subsequently  Craftsmans  Furniture,  L&JG Stickley Furniture Co., Stickley and Brandt and others.  L&JG Stickley is still in business today still producing a line of Mission Furniture of both contempoary design and using the original design from 80 to 100 years ago.  Other companies of equal quality include Limbert, Roycroft, Lifetime (actually the Grand Rapids Bookcase and Chair Co.) and a few others.  The furniture by these companies is characterized by all solid quartersawn oak construction using mortise and tenon (M&T) joinery.  Most of the structural M&T joints were held in place by a peg through the joint.  This prevents the joint from coming apart even if the glue itself fails.

Other companies of only slightly less quality still may have used M&T joinery but their joints were not pegged but held together with small finishing nail from the inside of the joint where they would not be seen.  Another technique was to use dowels in place of a M&T joint and still use a 'false' peg to make it look like it was a real M&T joint.

So, in looking to buy this style of furniture look for the following:  First and foremost is a label, signed furniture is more valuable than unsigned furniture.  Look for true mortise and tenon joinery, if a description doesn't say it is M&T, ask.  Look for truly figured quatersawn oak, also called tiger oak due to its tiger like stripes.  Look for good form and a piece that is well proportioned.

One other thing. A Morris Chair is a style of chair characterized by a back that reclines.  You could say it was the first recliner.  Most Arts and Crafts (aka Mission) morris chairs will have a wood bar or large pegs that are adjustable to recline the back.  The basic design is attributed to William Morris on England (yes, the famous fabric guy).  But not all morris chairs are not mission, just as all convertibles are not Mustangs.

For more information contact us through our eBay Store using the link below.  Strictly Mission's eBay Store