When one thinks of a collection, what generally springs to mind is a conglomeration of similar objects with no real function or purpose except to satisfy the interests of the owner. In this regard, antique furniture is unique from most other collectibles because it still serves the same function with as much practicality as it did when it was made. Though the best pieces of antique furniture can realize prohibitive sometimes extraordinary prices, the average buyer can still find articles representing some of the most important 19th and 20th century style movements at almost any mid-size auction house. Though purpose-built furniture has been around in some form or another for thousands of years, we will focus on American furniture from the Colonial period until today. American woodworking styles have seen a significant number of style periods since the early Colonial era, with each period being to some degree influenced by the pieces being built in Europe generally England and France. At the same time, American craftsmen often had to rely on the raw materials readily available in North America. The resulting furniture exhibited and mimicked styles popular in Europe, yet with distinctive American features and materials. Note to the Reader: This is by no means a comprehensive report, although it should loosely outline the history of American furniture from around until the mid th century. The reader should bear in mind that some of these periods overlap, hold particular regional significance and that sub-genres do exist.
Antique, Collectors and Period Furniture, Buy and Sell in the UK and Ireland
American Furniture Many vintage furniture buyers opt for quality reproductions that are more affordable, and either option is fine providing that you research your subject well when identifying antique furniture. There is no exact science where antique furniture is concerned; you simply make an educated decision based on what is most important to you. Researching and Identifying Antique Furniture Becoming knowledgeable about antique furniture takes research, even if you are focusing on only one aspect of this wide-ranging subject.
Many collectors prefer particular eras, styles, and makers, while others have more eclectic tastes.
The legs and stretchers were a hard wood that could be lathe-turned to create sharp edges (maple, walnut, cherry, etc.). The seats were a soft wood because they had to be carved into a “saddle” shape.
An Antique Chest of Drawers or any Georgian furniture are well designed pieces and are built to a very high standard. They are made using good quality woods such as mahogany and oak and the screws were made by hand. The style of English Georgian furniture was mostly plain and simple and had a similarity to the architectural lines of buildings. Furniture was hand crafted, and good quality solid woods were abundant, and along with good metalware fittings, quality was of the utmost imortance.
As the British Empire expanded more and more, new and different woods were discovered and became available. One of the main changes to furniture fashions occurred during the reigns of George I and George II by the replacement of Walnut with Mahogany. Mahogany was mainly imported from Cuba and Honduras. This new close grained wood which is much harder and less prone to woodworm, became very popular with cabinet makers and was in high demand, as it was more suitable for the grander pieces also in high demand for the newer and taller buildings.
Antique and Vintage Desks
Aesthetic Movement Bedroom Suite C. Incredible five-piece monster-sized Aesthetic Movement bedroom suite circa This set is the best of the best!
Ornamentation is minimal, in contrast to earlier 17th-century and William and Mary styles, which prominently featured inlay, figured veneers, paint, and cabriole leg is the “most recognizable element” of Queen Anne furniture.
But now I’ve come up with a question that some folks here might know something about. At one of the resale shops I frequent, I saw an old dresser that caught my eye. This dresser has two drawers above four, with the top two being curved outward and covered with veneer with the others flat, covered with veneer. Total width of the dresser is about 2.
It has legs that are straight and plain in the back, and the fronts are curved without any fancy trim, etc. Flat, veneered top with a minimum of of dcoration. I don’t know of the type of wood used, but it is wood with wood veneer on front, no particle boards, and is a dark wine-color. The drawer are of dovetail construction front and rear, and there are panels on the back.
Small wooden dowels keep the drawers from going too far back into the dresser. Every drawer has a brass lock with a nice looking old-style keyhole so each drawer can be locked individually. Each drawer has a faceted, round glass knob with a small brass base. It’s definitely not art deco style, nor does it have the fancy trimmings that many “victorian” items have.
From the simple yet sturdy design, careful woodwork and locks, it seems to be a well made item from a time when such items were made well even if they were mass-produced. I’ve found no name or identifying marks, but haven’t been able to clean off the bottom or search it with a flashlight.
Antique Beds & Bedroom Sets
To return to our theme about this being the era when children and adult collectors were re-constructing historical dollhouses and furnishings, another avenue still popular today was the kit. It is important to consider whether a house you are contemplating purchasing as antique is in fact made from a factory kit in recent years.
Once the house is assembled and painted — and the decor will vary from house to house as the owner’s individual taste dictates — its origins are not always apparent, especially if the house has been roughly played with or left outdoors for a period of time.
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This quality antique table stands on an elegant carved turned pedestal with acanthus leaf carvings and has tripod splayed legs again with beautiful carvings and pad feet. It has a beautifully figured circular top with moulded edge above an elegant turned central pedestal, has a tripod shaped base with small turned finials and has turned bun feet with concealed small brass castors.
This beautiful antique Georgian table, dating from around , has a circular top and is of super quality. The pedestal is elegantly turned and stands on tripod splayed legs with pad feet. The top itself is constructed from a solid piece of mahogany and tilts on its original mechanism. This is a quality table from the period and has aged to a lovely warm medium shade of mahogany with a striking grain, good patina, is in very good condition and has been beautifully cleaned using a traditional form of wax finishing.
It has a circular one piece solid mahogany tilt top that operates on the original mechanism. Dating from around in the Regency period this fine quality table is made from mahogany. The circular top is made from a single piece of mahogany and tilts on the original mechanism. Victorian Walnut Chess Top Occasional Antique Table ,Dating from around in the Victorian period this delightful antique has a beautiful moulded top with an unusual chess board inlaid centre decoration.
A Photo Guide to Antique Chair Identification
More Furniture Styles Buying period antique furniture takes detective work The original finish on an antique is part of it’s valued charm When shopping for antique furniture be sure and take the following “tools” with you: To determine if a wood worm hole in antique furniture is genuine, insert a sewing needle into the hole, if it goes in straight it is a “fake hole” made by a drill.
Worms never eat in a straight line! Always be on the look out for repairs well made ones are fine
Shop for-and learn about-Antique and Vintage Desks. Desks delineate personal spaces for their users, who stand or sit behind these essential pieces of.
Antique Chest of Drawers Posted by: An Antique Chest of Drawers or any Georgian furniture are well designed pieces and are built to a very high standard. They are made using good quality woods such as mahogany and oak and the screws were made by hand. The style of English Georgian furniture was mostly plain and simple and had a similarity to the architectural lines of buildings.
Furniture was hand crafted, and good quality solid woods were abundant, and along with good metalware fittings, quality was of the utmost imortance. As the British Empire expanded more and more, new and different woods were discovered and became available. One of the main changes to furniture fashions occurred during the reigns of George I and George II by the replacement of Walnut with Mahogany.
Mahogany was mainly imported from Cuba and Honduras. This new close grained wood which is much harder and less prone to woodworm, became very popular with cabinet makers and was in high demand, as it was more suitable for the grander pieces also in high demand for the newer and taller buildings.
Antique and Vintage Cabinets
She sets a good table. Fortune turned the tables and we won. We turned the tables on them and undersold them by 50 percent. She gave money under the table to get the apartment. He worked his way through college by waiting table.
Jul 20, · dating from a period long ago: antique furniture. a seat, esp. for one person, usually having four legs for support and a rest for the back and often having rests for the arms. antique furniture. noting or pertaining to automobiles approximately 25 years old or more.
Its soft, rich color palette in the medallion and background will coordinate beautifully with a multitude of fabric designs and colors. This rug is of the highest quality and in excellent condition. When in our Showrooms looking at furniture and accessories, many customers have expressed an interest in our collection of antique Persian rugs. We, therefore, decided to offer when available only the finest and most authentic reproductions.
Unlike original 19th and 20th century Persian rugs, the cost is not prohibitive and unlike other reproductions in the marketplace today, this rug is not a cartoon like adaptation. Width 6 Feet and Length 9 Feet.
A primer on furniture styles
This hybrid reached America by way of England about where it was quickly adapted to public taste. An American contribution to it was the ornamental detail known as spool-turning. Taking its name from its resemblance to a series of spools placed end to end, it replaced the baluster-shaped turnings that had been in favor for nearly two centuries with furniture of the less pretentious sort.
Looking at antique furniture, we often seek clues for authenticity and age. There are many factors that show true historic construction, but one clue that is often .
Can you tell how old an antique is just by the shape of its leg? Well, no, not the exact date it was created, because classic leg designs are copied to this day. But a leg CAN tell you when a style was first introduced and that is one important step in identifying an antique’s age and period. Look at this leg: It’s shapely curves identify it as a cabriole pronounced “CAB ree ole” leg and that type of leg was first introduced in the 18th century. But that doesn’t mean this piece of furniture was made in the 18th century.
In fact, it is a Louis XV revival desk made in the late 19th century, most likely by the renowned Parisian copyist T. Those phrases tell you it’s later than the mid th century. So does that mean it’s a crummy antique? Some of the 19th century copies of 18th century styles are even more valuable than the older pieces. They’re just different and must be judged on their own merits.
