I have a pair of chairs that were my mother's chairs when she was a child. They are small cane bottom chairs. They are a set. They didn't make children's toys much back 100 years ago. Usually chairs like these were samples made by craftsmen to sell full sized chairs that they made and sold. These came from craftsmen in southern Indiana where my mother's grandparents lived. My mom tells the story that these had been sent through the mail with a tag on them. They were hung on a fencepost by the mailbox. Mom had a little sister who probably is meant to have one of the chairs, but they somehow became Mom's possessions after her mother died.
When Mom was in college she took an art class that required a caning project. I think people could buy kits or make them from scratch, I don't really know. But, my ever saving Mom decided to re-cane her childhood chairs. I remember that she referred to these chairs as the Sea Chairs. Then I discovered that their name was actually the "C Chairs" reflecting the grade she got on the project. Apparently the teacher thought the project was too easy. But, I have to say, these chairs have lasted 80 years or more with the caning job my mom did. It probably deserved more than a C.
It warms my heart to see my grandson move the chairs around my house to play with or observe things. The chairs are the perfect size for him at 3 years old. Pretty soon these chairs will be 100 years old, true antiques. I hope they continued to be passed on down. I wonder if they will still be called the C chairs?
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