Posted by Chris under Company News on August 10, 2010
With Fall right around the corner, we're gearing up here at English Classics for the August 2010 Scott's show, which will last from the 12th through the 15th. We've decided to shake things up a bit and exhibit in both buildings: in addition to showing at our normal spaces, H9-H10 in the South Building, we will also have a booth set up in D2-D3 in the North Building. So come see both Peters—that's right, we have two of them—and enjoy the sights of the Southeast's favorite antique show! And while you're at it, grab an ice cream cone while we've still got this beautiful Georgia summer.
Tags: scott antique market, show, atlanta
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Posted by Chris under Company News on July 31, 2010
It's that time of the month again:
antiques so pretty it feels like sin.
So feel free to browse this brief selection:
we hope our photos give you a smile.

When we saw this small mahogany bookcase, we found the design so unusual that we had to get it.

This beautiful nine-foot mahogany conference table arrived in great condition. Similar to the reproductions that we carry, this c1960 piece is a much higher quality table than you usually see from the '60's.

This exquisitely carved oak bureau bookcase dates back all the way to c1820, during the Georgian period. The carvings are very detailed—and the unique pull backplates even have sphinxes and pyramids on them.

At one point in time, this mahogany campaign chest would have furnished an RAF officer's quarters and disassembled into several pieces during relocations in the field. Today, the pieces have been permanently joined together to make this unique piece a more suitable addition for home use.

This Victorian walnut bow front chest recently underwent a complete restoration at the hands of our cabinetmaker in England. The exquisite appearance and unparalleled sturdy structure of of this piece testify to his amazing skills.

We always keep our eyes peeled for barley twist furniture, particularly chairs and tables. This set of four oak dining chairs caught our eye and arrived in wonderful condition.

Pub tables, especially ones with barley twist legs, have always been one of our most popular items. Needless to say, we don't expect to keep this charming beauty for long.

We don't often acquire wardrobes, if only because of their relatively uncommon appearance in the antique market. But when we saw this exquisite flame mahogany wardrobe, it was destiny.
That's all for now—we hope you enjoyed all the pictures. Stay tuned for more updates and, for a more complete list of our inventory, you can always visit our reproduction and antique furniture catalog.
Tags: container, arrivals, bookcase, table, bureau, chest, chair, wardrobe
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Posted by Chris under Company News on July 08, 2010
After taking a break from the June show, we are back at Scott Antique Market, the best-loved antique show in the Southeast. At Scott's, you can find everything from rustic pine benches to finely hand-polished mahogany desks, so be sure to get a good look at the amazing selection and variety of antiques. The show will be running July 9-11, and there will be plenty of great deals to find. You can find us in the South building, spaces H9-H10. Say hello to Peter while you're there!
Tags: scott antique market, show, atlanta
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Posted by Chris under General on July 04, 2010
Happy Independence Day, everybody! We hope everyone has a good, safe time this weekend.
Tags: july 4, independence day
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Posted by under Furniture Commentary on July 01, 2010
I was in for a surprise this week while unwrapping one of our recent arrivals, a lovely flame mahogany credenza. Although the furniture produced by our third-generation English cabinetmaker is always high quality, the character of each piece is unique because every one is handmade. This time we received a real gem. Enjoy the pictures.

The selection of flame mahogany and satinwood are really quite beautiful in this piece. The stain and the finish both set into the wood flawlessly to produce one of the lovelier specimens here at English Classics.

One of the great things about fine English furniture is that it achieves the perfect synthesis of utility and aesthetic perfection.

I wouldn't want you to miss the back, so here it is—no detail was lost on our cabinetmaker.

This shot of the hand-cut dovetails also happens to showcase the gorgeous grain and complexion of the wood.

The ogee foot is probably my favorite variety, and in this picture at least I hope it is clear why.
Tags: credenza, showcase, reproduction, handmade
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Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on June 24, 2010
Recently I wrote about our May furniture container, and one of the items I featured in that post was a carved Victorian sideboard. This is really such a beautiful piece that I wanted to share some of the detailed photos that we have of it. Enjoy!

The black areas in the backsplash are mirrors.

Take a look at the lion in the center. He looks absolutely shocked. Somewhere, a lion died of old age and woke up in Victorian England as a carving in somebody's sideboard. Not the afterlife he was expecting. Surprise!—you're furniture.

When I first saw this guy, I thought he was a pregnant woman until I saw the beard. For a moment I considered Victorian carnies and bearded ladies, but after banishing that thought, I realized that the representation here is in a classical style, where depictions of men and women are often androgynous.

Here is the little man's female opposite. They are both holding a cylindrical object, the man with his left hand, the woman with her right, but I haven't been able to figure out what it is supposed to represent. I'm sure it was a common and recognizable motif to Victorians.

The surprising thing about these cherubs is the remarkable level of detail shown in their faces. They sure are cute little pudgy things. (In case you're wondering why I don't call them puttos, see my post, "Putto or Cherub?".)

I believe that these pulls are original to the sideboard, which is fairly uncommon for a piece of this age. Incredibly, the pulls show almost as much precise detail as the wood itself.
Tags: sideboard, showcase, victorian
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Posted by Chris under Company News on June 17, 2010
This is it, folks. Our first antique auction on the new website begins tomorrow and ends June 25 at 10pm EST. We have 120 items listed at great deals, so don't miss out!
Tags: auction
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Posted by Chris under Company News on June 10, 2010
I know I'm a little late on this, seeing as it's June already, but we've been awfully busy lately. However, we did get a lot of great antiques in last month, so it should be worth the wait!

This Victorian sideboard arrived in great condition with plenty of gorgeous carvings all over it. We usually have a few sideboards or hunt cupboards similar to this lying around the shop, but this one is particularly unique, since it has carved cherubs and a man and woman pair. What I would consider stock Victorian carvings included lion heads and floral motifs, both of which this one has, but it is unusual (although not rare) to find such distinct carvings. You can also really see the craftsman's touch in many of the more detailed carvings.

People are always asking us about buttoned leather furniture, so here is May's beauty. I don't anticipate this one will be here long, given the great condition that it is in. (Side note: we will soon be carrying English reproduction buttoned leather furniture!)

Gate leg tables are one of our most popular items. This one is especially unique, however, because of its large size relative to most antique gate legs of the same style and period.

This Victorian writing desk arrived in fantastic condition with a gorgeous quartersawn oak grain (sometimes called "tiger oak" for its distinctive striped pattern) and a green leather writing surface that appears to have been replaced circa 1960.

This lovely Edwardian nest of tables is an uncommon find, since antique nests of tables aren't very easy to come by. A rich patina has settled into the mahogany in these tables, which helps to give them their heterogeneous complexion.
Many more wonderful antiques arrived on May's container, but that's all for now.
Tags: container, arrivals, sideboard, armchair, table, desk
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Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on June 02, 2010
I had this Welsh dresser in the studio recently and found a label on the back that read, "Pickfords Ltd."

I always Google labels found on our furniture. Many times, I hit a dead end, since most of the companies with labels on antiques have long since gone out of business. This time, however, I found these guys, the very same Pickfords on the tag. What I found was fascinating: they've been in business since the 17th century. "Ancient" is perhaps an exaggeration, but even so. Holy cow.
So there you have it. An antique company moving antiques.
Tags: pickfords, label
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