Unless you are shopping around in a museum, it may be difficult to buy antique furniture dated before the 16th century. Collectors are generally only able to obtain pieces of furniture from the 1485 to 1600 Tudor Period and onwards, and even the furniture selection from this period is relatively small in comparison.
It was not until the middle of the seventeenth century that things began to change. Before then, most furniture was made simply with oak and with peg joints. Some of these antique furniture items were inlaid or painted, but if there was any décor at all, it was typically carved directly into the wood. The most common antique furniture that you are going to find today includes paneled oak chests intended for linen, and many of these are hand carved in order to feature unique figures and architectural shapes. If the carving is to regular or geometrical, then there is a chance that the piece is either a reproduction, or that the decorations have been improved upon or added much more recently.
The chest of drawers is a piece of antique furniture that has evolved gradually since the latter half of the 17th century. It began with a simple carcass that contained a couple of drawers which were mounted on a stand that featured turned legs. This piece of furniture gradually progressed into what we now know as featuring drawers from top to bottom. This is also the same period of time where using veneer became popular. Thin pieces of carved wood or wood featuring interesting colors were glued onto the piece’s outside frame to serve as decorative paneling or to cover the entire structure.
At this point, chairs and settlings were also beginning to change from their basic, square and relatively plain designs into designs that were significantly more elaborate and featured backs and can backs and seats were being introduced. The very best antique furniture pieces were destined to suit aristocratic homes and they were upholstered lavishly. The backs became significantly higher and the seats became significantly lower.
Another influencing factor on antique furniture was trade with the Far East. Lacquered cabinets featuring two doors and a variety of drawers began to be imported from Japan and China. They were mounted on stands upon reaching England. This was the birth of a process that is known as Japanning, which involves imitating the Oriental style lacquers using spirit and oil varnishes.
Toward the end of the century, the influx of European craftsman brought about a radical change in what types of antique furniture were available. The writing bureau, for example, came to be during this period of time as an arrangement of a cabinet with a drop down, hinged front and an arrangement of cubbies and drawers that provided ample space for writing.
If you are interested in learning how to buy antique furniture, learning the history of the pieces is definitely a good way to go.
Photo Credits: mezzoblue
Originally posted 2009-08-28 05:21:45. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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