Bidspirit auction | Michael Elkan Studio Craft Burl

Michael Elkan Studio Craft Burl Wood Rocking Armchair, 1989 - A single American Studio Craft rocking armchair by Michael Elkan, constructed from carved and turned solid hardwoods with a burl wood seat and burl wood arms. The design incorporates a high spindle back with a gently curved crest rail over ten vertical spindles, anchored into a thick burl seat slab featuring a live edge at the front and back. The carved armrests are supported by curved posts and back spindles. The undercarriage features round turned legs joined to curved rockers with cylindrical stretchers, using round mortise-and-tenon joinery with wedged tenons exposed at the seat base. Inset wooden butterfly keys stabilize the natural fissures across the center of the seat. The underside of the wooden seat features incised lettering applied by hand reading Michael Elkan 89-3. A prominent natural check runs through the center of the burl seat, reinforced by original inset butterfly keys visible on both the top (photos 2 and 3) and bottom (photo 4). Natural voids and bark inclusions are present on the seat slab (photos 1, 2, and 3). Wear, scuffing, and finish loss are visible along the ground-contact surfaces of both rockers (photo 4). Minor surface scratches and handling wear are present throughout the woodwork consistent with functional use.