Moorish Fretwork

Bon Voyage!

Moorish Fretwork is my obsession.  Open barley twist spirals woven into all kinds of patterns and used in grilles, screens, and furniture.  Magical stuff.  I'll be back to post more photos and please send me photos of your spiral furniture and fretwork.  I'm writing a book on Moorish Fretwork and its makers, the C.S. Ransom & Company from Cleveland, OH, the Merklen Brothers spiral furniture company in New York City, and George Mertz's Sons from Port Chester, NY.  Most of this furniture work has been misattributed to George Hunzinger and although I also like Hunzinger's work I'm on a crusade to get the Ransoms, the Merklens, and the Mertz's their rightfull place.  See my article in the May 2005 Magazine Antiques on Moorish Fretwork Furniture where I discuss these four companies.

Now all I have to do is figure out how to post photos!

Thanks,

Paul Tucker

The text of Paul's article is on the web here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1026/is_5_167/ai_n13779973, though I recommend getting a copy of the magazine as the pictures are wonderful to look at and are a great reference.  Paul, are you still selling magazine copies if people want the issue?

Yes I still have magazines available for $10 including shipping.

Paul Tucker
617 South Mountain Road
Dillsburg, PA 17019

717 648 2971

http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/item.aspx?itemID=3177

I came across a nice example of this fretwork for sale (link above).  "very rare solid oak wood patented "barley twist" ropelike victorian fretwork - designed by moses younglove ransom".

No price listed...

- Jason

Thanks Jason,

I've seen it and talked to them about it.  Its not for sale.  Its very nice.

Thanks again,

Paul

Ah...that is a shame (it not being for sale).  They must have acquired it recently...I visited their shop a few weeks ago and I check their site fairly regularly--this fretwork panel was not on the radar at that time.  Seems odd that they would post something just for showin'-off rather than for sale. 

I sent an inquiry about the gothic oak panels that they got since last month (link below).  They promptly updated their site to indicate that the panels had been sold...and an hour later I got a pair of nice replies to my inquiry indicating that they had recently been sold.  Of course, one reply was addressed to "John"...the other to "William". 

John, William, and I are on the look-out for similar panels for use in the tower...if anybody comes across something similar, I'd love to take a look (don't bother pestering John or William).

- Jason

http://www.urbanremainschicago.com/item.aspx?itemID=2983

Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but there is an interesting piece of fretwork on ebay right now...

http://cgi.ebay.com/Woven-Wood-Fret-Work-Panel-Dated-1885-Aesthetic-/270632455044?pt=Antiques_Furniture&hash=item3f02f38b84
(end date Sept 14, 2010 -- item # 270632455044 )

- Jason

Nice find!  That patent date corresponds to one that was issued for Moses Younglove Ransom here for interlocking spiral molding.

He has been mentioned here on RV before and is a personal favorite of Paul Tucker, this article's author.  I'll have to give him a heads up.

Yep...I recognized the "patent date label" (the brass-looking strip of metal) from the fretwork at Urban Remains--one of the posts above has the link.  I figured that Paul might get excited about a $250 example on ebay.  I suspect that the one on ebay would have looked quite stunning in an arched doorway.

The ebay piece sold for $306...seems like a good buy.

Yes it was a good buy.  Wish I would have gone a little more on it.  Thanks for everyone letting me know about this piece.  I missed it until John let me know.  I had only had a saved search for "fretwork" not "fret work" and so I didn't get a report.

Paul Tucker