Anybody who knows antiques and the reproductions that follow them knows that familiarizing yourself with various furniture periods can be a big help. That's why we decided to offer our readers a few useful summaries of the major furniture periods of England, starting with one of the first. This post is the 3rd in a series of 7, continued from a discussion of Jacobean furniture.
Remembered most for its recurrence near the end of the 19th century in the Queen Anne Revival (c1870-c1900), Queen Anne period furniture marks an important turn in English furniture history. Like many other aspects of English culture, Queen Anne style furniture grew quite popular in America, particularly during the Revival period just after the American Federal style tapered off. Although usually characterized by stylistic developments, this time also saw the introduction of mahogany into English furniture-making, which would become quite popular later in the 18th century.
Named after the reign of Queen Anne (1702-1714), Queen Anne furniture saw the introduction of the elegantly curved cabriole leg, which originated in East Asia. Before this innovative leg design, which was strengthened by a knee and thus was strong enough to support chairs without additional framing, stretchers were necessary for chairs. It is for this reason that chairs then and today with cabriole legs tend not to have stretchers, although many chairs at that time still used them. Stretchers, backrests and seats alike evolved to complement the serpentine curves of the cabriole leg, developing a very distinctive, curvaceous appearance that persists today. Feet were often ball-and-claw or lion’s-paw. Other furniture like cabinets and tables also featured curvilinear stands and legs. The most popular wood used in Queen Anne period furniture as well as in the Queen Anne Revival was French walnut, although Virginian walnut was sometimes used as well. As with other long-ago furniture periods, very little Queen Anne furniture survives, although much Queen Anne style furniture survives from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
2011 English Classics
1442 Chattahoochee Ave NW
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