Continuing on with the discussion of lost arts, let us talk seats and backs for a moment, shall we? I'm talking about the methods of seat and/or back replacements for chairs or settees that have been used for many, many years in the furniture world. It is an art form of a most practical nature - replacing the worn or broken (or in some cases disappeared altogether!) sitting parts with authentic, original styling of seat.
In our modern times many people who have inherited (or found in swap meets or flea markets) articles of sitting furniture that have grooves, holes, or just bars around the four corners may not realize what the original method of covering must have been. The next step they will take is normally to have a board cut and upholstered to complete the piece of furniture and make it functional.
To anyone who is familiar with the OTHER methods of seat replacement, this would seem like a disservice to the furniture and it's original design. But then, when was the last time you ever stumbled upon a caner or weaver in the business of replacing just this method of seat? They are very few and far between, but normally they are very busy at their handiwork. Making a chair authentic to its creator is their stock and trade, and it will usually take the keen eye of a professional to tell you what kind of seat was intended for the furniture piece - we have one of these artists who has been replacing all sorts of chair bottoms for 20 years!