Furniture

Every piece of furniture has a practical purpose regardless of how simple or grand it is, even if some pieces were built more for display than function. Today, furniture remains one of the largest areas of the antiques market and items are categorised by type and period.

The term brown furniture refers to traditional pieces made from dark woods such as mahogany, while pieces made from native woods like oak and walnut are sometimes referred to as vernacular furniture.

Famous historical makers include Chippendale, Gillows, William Vile and John Cobb. More recent market trends have seen modern vintage pieces appearing in specialist design and ‘Interior’ auctions.


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Chest attributed to Flemish-born London maker Gerrit Jensen tops furniture from Worcestershire manor

17 June 2019

A consignment of furniture from the medieval Eastington Hall, Worcestershire, boosted Chorley’s (20% buyer’s premium) latest sale in Prinknash Abbey, Gloucestershire.

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Rediscovering ‘Good Design’ at Kensington Church Street show

17 June 2019

'What Happened to Good Design', a summer selling exhibition at Hill House in Kensington Church Street, was inspired by a show at design shop Heal’s in 1982 of the same name. It offers works from the Arts & Crafts period and beyond.

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Previews : £30,000 plus

17 June 2019

Our weekly selection from salerooms and dealerships.

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The web shop window: Sicilian giltwood casket from Anthony Outred

10 June 2019

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

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Label fits the bill as Oxfordshire dealer sells cupboard by John Coxed

03 June 2019

A chinoiserie corner cupboard bearing the paper trade label of the Queen Anne furniture maker John Coxed has been sold by Oxfordshire dealership Alexander George Fine Antiques.

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Early oak takes root in spring

27 May 2019

One of the best pieces of early oak at spring provincial sales was an17th century carved oak mural livery cupboard sold at Henry Adams (20% buyer’s premium) of Chichester.

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Exceptional farmhouse table brings excellent price

27 May 2019

Catalogued as ‘exceptional’, this farmhouse refectory table fulfilled the auctioneer’s adjective in more than one way at Duke’s (25% buyer’s premium) sale in Dorchester on April 26.

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Brandt Art Deco table on offer in LA

13 May 2019

A 23in (58.5cm) diameter Art Deco table by the designer Edgar Brandt has been consigned to the two-day Design for the Home and Garden auction to be held by Andrew Jones in Los Angeles on May 18-19.

Settee

Sofa where Edward Prince of Wales met Wallis Simpson comes to auction in Northamptonshire

08 May 2019

The 'love seat' said to have played a part in the abdication crisis of 1936 is to be offered at auction this week at Humbert & Ellis.

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Table topper at Battersea decorative fair

06 May 2019

A c.1946 Italian wrought-iron dressing table was among the stand-out sales during the spring Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair in Battersea.

Bacon screen

Four works by Francis Bacon worth £3m barred from export by government in hope of keeping them in the UK

29 April 2019

The government is hoping to find a buyer for four works - three rugs and a painted screen - by Francis Bacon (1909-92) in the hope of keeping them in the country.

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ATG letter: Giacomo Herman cabinet must stay in UK

29 April 2019

Copy of a letter sent to Jeremy Wright MP, secretary of state for culture, concerning the temporary export ban placed on a 350-year-old cabinet by Baroque artisan Giacomo Herman in the hope a buyer can be found to keep it in the UK (see ATG No 2388):

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Stamp denotes Parisian origin

29 April 2019

This highly elaborate chest of drawers decorated in boulle marquetry technique with a variety of different figural and foliate motifs featured in the furniture session of a sale at Hampel (29.5% buyer’s premium) in Munich on March 28.

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Casket was born in Bethlehem

29 April 2019

The extensive spring sale at Schuler (20/18.6/16.6% buyer’s premium) in Zurich lasted from March 18-22. The results were as varied as the works of art on offer.

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Five places to see, buy and celebrate Bauhaus on its centenary

27 April 2019

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus art school and, from attending special events to buying a piece of its influential design, there are plenty of ways to mark the centenary.

Poul Henningsen’s grand piano

“I designed something entirely new” – early 1930s glass grand piano draws attention in Paris sale

22 April 2019

A Modernist grand piano from 1931 by the Danish designer Poul Henningsen was the toast of a dedicated Scandinavian design sale held by Artcurial in Paris.

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Dealer on a high from low oak chairs

19 April 2019

This pair of 19th century Arts & Crafts low oak chairs is available from Elaine Phillips Antiques at the next edition of The Pavilions of Harrogate Decorative Antiques & Fine Art Fair priced at £1150.

Stamford

Five highlights from Golding Young & Mawer’s sale of Stamford dealers' St George’s Collection later this month

18 April 2019

The sale on April 24 of the stock and personal collection of two Stamford dealers features a who’s who of English furniture and object makers. ATG picked five items from more than 800 lots for closer inspection.

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Renaissance German casket featuring 3D geometric designs placed under temporary export bar

15 April 2019

A 16th century marquetry casket long in the collection of Scotland’s Newbattle Abbey has been placed under export bar in a bid to keep it in the country.

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Regency furniture sets Guernsey saleroom record

15 April 2019

A fine pair of Regency dwarf bookcases in the manner of George Oakley sold for £58,000 at the Martel Maides saleroom in St Peter Port, Guernsey.

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