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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Classic French cabinet commissioned by Louis XV

04 December 2023

A piece of French cabinetmaking with a provenance to Louis XV came up for sale on November 25 at SGL enchères (26.4% buyer’s premium inc tax).

Regency sofas

Regency sofas star in our pick of five auction highlights

01 December 2023

ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a pair of Regency painted and gilt sofas with a rich provenance that made over three-times estimate in Oxfordshire.

George III giltwood armchairs

Exceptional English chairs emerge in US

27 November 2023

A fine pair of 18th century English chairs sold for $120,000 (£100,000) in Asheville, North Carolina, on November 16-18.

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Early chair by Eames team shows that detail counts when it comes to value

27 November 2023

In the Mid-century market, the devil is in the detail.

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Strong box thought to be the work of Gerrit Jensen

27 November 2023

Like many English joiners of the period, not a great deal is known about the private life of Gerrit Jensen.

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Pilkington’s ceramics provide good starter for North Yorkshire auction

27 November 2023

A 43-lot private collection of Pilkington’s ceramics from Manchester opened Tennants’ (24/22% buyer’s premium) sale of 20th century design held in Leyburn on October 7.

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Imperial power told through a £110,000 hardwood chest

20 November 2023

A Chinese ‘dragon’ box fashioned in the prized Asian wood zitan sold for £110,000 at Sworders (25% buyer’s premium) on November 3.

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Mid Century art and design show market strengths in upstate New York sale

20 November 2023

Line Vautrin (1913-97) began her career selling her cast metal jewellery door-to-door.

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Korean screen heads to US institution at £175,000

20 November 2023

This 18th century Korean eight-panel screen depicts a subject borrowed from Ming prototypes: a banquet honouring the famed Tang dynasty general Guo Ziyi.

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Egg breaks out of hotel confines

13 November 2023

Famous chair created as just an edition of 50 went on to become signature product of Danish design house

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Penguin bookshelf on offer at Bedford auction

13 November 2023

The Penguin Bookshelf was a collaboration between Penguin Books and the London furniture-maker Beaver and Tapley. The design was debuted to retailers at the 1955 Furniture Exhibition when something close to 3000 orders were placed.

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Howard & Sons sitting comfortably

13 November 2023

Chairs and sofas by Howard & Sons are a pricey niche market these days, largely immune to the varying fortunes of the wider market for Victorian and Edwardian furniture.

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Interiors: Put on a road show

13 November 2023

The dealer ‘hub’ of Lillie Road is renowned among interior designers but now is the time to spread the word

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An Aesthetic Movement cabinet is among five lots to watch

06 November 2023

With estimates from £150, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week.

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Gatehouse panels greeted visitors to earl’s new country seat

06 November 2023

Hugely decorative, impeccably provenanced and selling at an impressive sum, a pair of moulded relief panels were another of autumn’s Coade stone stars

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Table suitable for Grand Tour big buyer

06 November 2023

No 19th-century Grand Tourist would have considered his or her visit to Rome complete without a day spent shopping for micromosaics. Most would return home with a small box, a paperweight or a plaque.

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Kime flies when you’re bidding

30 October 2023

Focus on three days of dispersing the collection of renowned interior designer and antiques dealer

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Top stories this week including a new high for a pair of chairs

29 October 2023

The most viewed stories on this website over the last week included news of the record for a pair of chairs broken twice as part of Christie’s Rothschild family auction series.

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Pair of chairs record toppled twice in same Rothschild sale

23 October 2023

The auction record for a pair of chairs was broken twice as part of Christie’s Rothschild family auction series in New York.

Blessington Commode

Pick of the week: Museum steps in to buy Blessington Commode

16 October 2023

An important piece of Irish marquetry furniture scheduled to sell in County Louth last week was withdrawn from sale at the 11th hour after a deal was struck with the National Museum of Ireland.

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