If it were a repro, it would cost even more. There is a tremendous amount of workmanship in that set...at aven 1940 labor prices the cost would be prohibitive.
Yes it's real.
Linda C

I don't think the style is "right" for 1840s, Linda. I think it's later than that... I was thinking 1880s-90s. I think the overall scale of the suite is too massive for the 1840s and the Renaissance revival and medieval influence doesn't jive with what I know about the transitional period between "Empire" and "Victorian".

You're way better at searching than I am, but I think the time frame in the description is off by 40-50 yrs.. Thoughts?

Hahahaha! Lindac, you make me laugh, "the cost would be prohibitive". Like it isn't now! (I know there are people with the pocketbook for $35,000 of over-the-top furniture, but not the crowd I run around with.) Thank you for the help. I had no idea and really wondered. So is $35k a decent price for such a set? How would it end up in Tampa I wonder? Would it originally have come from Europe?

I hadn't thought about the style and the dates didn't jibe....but I think it does. It's Gothic Revival. Which would be about the right dates.
Probably came from a hotel or country house.
Linda C

A lot of very rich industrialists had estates in Florida, like Viscaya in Miami. Deering was rich enough to have imported from anywhere in the world just about anything he wanted. My husband and I visited it when we were on a busman's holiday wending home from a cruise. They were everywhere wealthy people lived, like Stan Hywet house in Akron......another estate built by Goodyear.

Here is a link that might be useful: Viscaya

I'm in the Tampa area and I think I'll call him tomorrow for more info.

The set is late 1800's and it looks like original condition all right. I used to be in the importing business and we brought tons of this stuff in from Austria in the early 1970's. Some people still import it but the weak dollar has made it hard, I'm sure. It seems the people in Europe may have taken better care of their old stuff as I found many antiques over their that were in pristine condition. The climate may have helped too. Here in AZ. that leather would dry up in no time. Speaking of which the seats look like they may have been replaced. 35K is a lot of dough for that but then again I've been out of the high end furniture market for some time. I once sold Goldie Hahn and Kurt Russel a table and chairs for 18k that made that set look puny. It had no cabinets with it but the backs of the heavily carved, oak, chairs were four feet tall. The cabinets to this set would sell easy enough, possibly to a hotel or resturant but the table and chairs would not. Those kind of chairs were built for smaller Victorian era people. The furniture back then was well made and very heavy. No wonder my back is shot. Why didn't I sell knick knacks instead?

I have NO idea about this type of antique, but was just curious: why is the table only 62" long an not expandable if there are twelve chairs? Was that normal in those days?

Because it's 55 inches wide.
Linda C

Thanks, Lindac. So they would seat two or three on each end and two or three on each side? Was that typical, do you know? Again, just curious...

The table does expand to hold the 12 chairs, but the leaves are missing. Someone could have a woodmaker construct and stain matching leaves.

See my other comments re: the phone conversation on the Decorating Forum.

Okay, that explains it! Thanks for the info, Monablair!

But it also would have sat 2 on each end.
Linda C