When Keith had to establish a work-base in Pretoria, one
of the comforts was to visit antique stores where he could see some
familiar old ‘faces’ in the form of antique Cape furniture.
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| The B W van Dyk Carvers |
One of the big surprises was finding Cape Regency chairs
that were made by BW van Dyk in Robertson, a mere 27km from Towerwater. It was
as if he had to relocate to Pretoria in order to find these chairs.
Individual Cape furniture makers are not always known.
When Keith asked the owner of the antique shop the provenance of the chairs
when the maker’s name was specifically mentioned, he was informed that ‘they
are stamped on the back’.
A new world of information then opened for us and we were
very excited by this development. Needless to say we had to buy the chairs and
‘bring them home’.
There was no way that we could leave Robertson chairs in
Pretoria. We bought one and friends from Paris bought the other as a shared
birthday gift to us.
With this new information in hand I started researching
BW van Dyk. After contacting Dr Matilda Burden, who wrote the latest book on Ou
Kaapse Meubels (Old Cape Furniture), she put me in contact with Dirkie
Neethling who produced a wealth of information on BW van Dyk.
As it happened, he had written a history on the Giliomee family
of the Overberg to whom van Dyk was related. Dirkie could provide the most
informative information including a very early photograph of BW van Dyk as a
young married man. Acquiring ownership of the chairs was made even more special
with the added provenance. Suddenly the chairs were not just chairs, but we now
also knew the expert craftsman behind them.
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| The stamp on the back of the chairs. |
It can be compared to owning a painting by an unknown
artist and owning a signed painting.
Click on the link to read the related posts:
BW van Dyk - 19th Century furniture maker, Robertson
The BW van Dyk chairs that found us
The Cape came home in Bubblewrap
The anatomy of a BW van Dyk dining chair
The anatomy of a BW van Dyk dining carver
Click on the link to read the related posts:
BW van Dyk - 19th Century furniture maker, Robertson
The BW van Dyk chairs that found us
The Cape came home in Bubblewrap
The anatomy of a BW van Dyk dining chair
The anatomy of a BW van Dyk dining carver
The craftsmanship displayed on these chairs is remarkable. Clearly that of a highly skilled furniture maker. Through the chairs, one can only gain respect for, and draw inspiration from, the skilled craftsmen who plied their many and varied trades in the rural Cape in the 18th and 19th centuries. Thanks for making me more aware of this history through this post.
ReplyDeleteWat 'n wonderlike "ontdekking"!!
ReplyDeleteEk besit ook van hierdie stoele en 'n bank. Van my Ouers (Wilkinson) ge-erf!! My oupagrootjie (Cramer) het dit laat 1800's vanaf die Kaap, met 'n ossewa, na Transvaal, getrek.
Baie dankie vir hierdie blad. Ek is juis besig met "familie" geskiedenis en enige inligting, is soo waardevol. Groetnis.
Mev. HJ Steyn (Wilkinson)
Mev Steyn baie dankie dat u hierdie inligting deel. Dit is voorwaar 'n vooorreg om meubels met so 'n ryk familie geskiedenis te besit. Ek het nog self nie 'n bank wat BW van Dyk gemaak het gesien nie. As u bereid is om 'n foto van u bank met my te deel sal ek dit waardeer. My epos adres is thys.hattingh@gmail.com of WhatsApp 0824232416. Vriendelike groete Thys
DeleteI have inhereted 10 of these chairs including four with the stamp at the back of the seat. Could someone please give me a ball park figure on their value.
ReplyDeleteThank you.
Good morning Douglas the value of your chairs will depend on several factors like their condition, age, history and rarity of the pieces. Who made the furniture, and in what style and era? Does it have an interesting “back story”, and is it free from nicks, scratches and other damage?
DeleteSome auction houses will value your antique furniture for you. For example Strauss and co and Ashbeys's Galleries in Cape Town. The South African Antique, Art and Design Association (SAADA) also offers valuations to members of the public.