Posted by Chris under Furniture Commentary on April 19, 2011
Most people love antiques. They're green, they're unique, they combine utility with art—they interrupt the dull monotony of everyday living simply by asserting themselves in space. Unique configurations. Unique materials. Distinct expressions of artisanal mastery. And for us, that's what it's really all about: working alongside the limits of beauty five days a week. A large part of this experience involves cultivating a taste for the business as well as for the beautiful pieces that we move in and out on a daily basis. But if you're on the outside looking in, it can often seem difficult to recognize quality when you see it, so to help, we've put together a list of some of our favorite pieces and explained why each piece made the list.
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Tags: bookcase, chest, marquetry, sideboard, sofa
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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 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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