Here's an impressive five-panel
Thonet screen (probably of American manufacture) from around
1910. It's made of quarter-sawn oak and is overall in what I
call excellent condition, with a rich and lustruous patina.
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Each panel is 20 1/2 inches wide,
70 tall, including the finials on the ends. The grain is beautiful,
consistent, and gives the impression of a flowing substance,
as it follows the contour of the wood in all places. The fabric
is by Schumacher, and is recently applied. In these photos the
almost jet-black background color of the fabric is somewhat muted.
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There are very old scratches here
and there (horizontal, across the surface of the posts) where
something (probably upholstering nails which are no longer present)
has rubbed the wood. You can see some examples in this photograph,
on the two vertical posts on the left. Overall, there are about
25 instances of this damage, but you can see from the overall
picture, above, that they don't exactly jump out at you.
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The back of each panel is upholstered
with a black fabric and black gimp.
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One foot is missing. I would have
replaced it but its absence has no impact on the functioning
of the screen.
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