How to clean a sticky finish on them?

A damp cloth is usually enough for basic dust. You don't need chemical sprays or heavy waxes. If the finish feels sticky, it is often just decades of built-up polish and hand grease. Wipe the frame down with a weak solution of mild soap and warm water. Dry it immediately with a soft cotton cloth. Do not let water sit on the joints. If the stickiness stays, the old shellac might be degrading. A restorer can revive the surface without stripping the original patina.

My grandfather left me a set of these and some of the back legs look bent inward, is this normal or broken?

Many antique rosewood chairs were designed with splayed back legs. The cabinetmaker angled them outward to provide stability and stop the chair tipping backward. Check if the joints are tight and sit flush against the seat rail. If the legs angle inward, a joint has likely failed.

Are castors supposed to be on all legs?

Most dining chairs left the workshop without any castors at all. They were meant to slide on bare wooden floors or carpets. Adding them alters the seat height and changes how the chair sits. Library and heavy drawing-room examples are different. Makers often fitted brass castors to the front legs only. This allowed servants to lift the back and wheel the seat toward the fire.

I want to change the fabric on the seats because the green velvet is worn, will taking it off damage the wood?

Changing the fabric is a standard part of owning antique chairs. Most seats were recovered several times throughout the nineteenth century. The process itself rarely hurts the frame if done with care. Drop-in seats are the easiest to deal with. You simply lift the wooden frame out and take it to an upholsterer. The main carcase stays safely at home. Fixed upholstery requires a bit more caution. Pulling hundreds of old tacks can splinter the edges of the seat rails. A good upholsterer will reuse the existing tack holes where possible.

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Victorian Rosewood Chairs

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Antique rosewood chairs are dark, densely grained seats constructed from imported tropical hardwoods, primarily designed to furnish affluent drawing rooms and dining parlours during the nineteenth century.