Antique Seating for the Modern Home
Happy New Year to all our friends and clients, including those we haven't met yet but will meet for the first time this year. Returning after our festive break we have decided to begin a new series of blog posts this time focusing on specific types of items in our collection. We begin with one of the cornerstones of our business and indeed of the antiques trade in general-seat furniture. As a dealership we seek out the best in design, proportion and colour and search for pieces that will be both practical items to be used and elevate a room. These criteria can be found in pieces from many different countries of origin and of vastly differing ages. Our stock is purposely diverse and we hope that we will always have something for all tastes. We also stock items to suit a variety of different budgets.
In order to make this stock selection easier to digest, we have decided to sub-categorise our items and work through each category in rough date order. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you would like any additional information about any of these pieces and do also remember that with upholstered seat furniture it is usually possible to change the “feel” of a piece dramatically by having it reupholstered. A classic piece can be made to seem much more contemporary with a bold modern fabric applied and vice versa. With a piece of furniture that has a caned or solid wooden seat, the same effect can be achieved by placing a suitable cushion on it, the advantage of this being that the change can easily be reversed without spending a lot of money in the process.
Sofas and Settees
Beginning with the largest pieces of seat furniture found in the average home, we always have settees and sofas in stock. These pieces are often the focal point of a room and also endure the most regular use so it is important to find the right piece both in design terms and in terms of practicality. A settee needs to be durable as well as attractive and these two requirements are not always found in a single design. We choose carefully based on our years of experience and the frames of all of our seat furniture are carefully restored when necessary and tested to ensure years of comfortable service.
Both of our current settees are of 19th century origin and both have links to the designs of the great mid 18th century maker Giles Grendey.
Click here to view this settee
The first piece in this part of our collection is a late 19th century chair back settee with superbly drawn eagles' head terminals to the arms, conjoined chair back splats and cabriole legs with shell carved knees. The piece is executed in finely patinated walnut of a glorious colour and is very much in the manner of pieces produced by Grendey and his competitors c.1740-60. The timber used on the backsplats is bookmatched in the traditional manner and the quality of carving here is superb. 18th century examples of settees of this type have made extraordinary sums of money in the past and might be too valuable for most clients to consider using in a home for fear of damage. An example made $75,000 in June 2013 at Christie's in New York for example. Our piece has all of the same quality of craftsmanship and fine timbers but comes without the price tag, meaning that it can be used and enjoyed with confidence.
Our second settee is after the famous Ramsden model by Howard and Sons but, in addition, the outscrolling hipped knees are very much related to several famous suites of seat furniture by Giles Grendey, as are the claw and ball feet which have Grendey's trademark boldness present as well. This settee is beautifully carved and supremely comfortable. It has been newly reupholstered and we have chosen a neutral linen finish to make it as versatile as possible but please note our comments above about upholstery.
A Bed
Not seat furniture in the conventional sense of course but worth mentioning here given its extraordinary presence and the fact that during a gloomy January with dark nights we could all do with a comfortable and warm bed.
The parcel gilt finish is ideal for bringing some extra brightness to the dark winter nights but will look spectacular at any time of the year. In the French rococo style, this piece is of king size and the headboard is upholstered in complementary gold silk damask. This marvellous piece dates to c.1900 and is the definition of a show-stopping piece of furniture.
Armchairs
Probably the most popular item of seat furniture is the armchair and there are, of course, huge numbers of different styles and designs to suit all and any tastes. We try to stock examples from a wide variety of periods and countries of origin and here are some examples from our current collection. Beginning with our oldest pieces of seat furniture, we have a pair of Italian baroque period armchairs
Click here to view these armchairs
These extraordinary pieces are one example of upholstered furniture that it would be foolhardy to reupholster as they retain pieces of extremely old leather upholstery that is a very rare survival and adds enormously to their decorative and historical appeal. These fine chairs have remarkable crestings to the uprights and the leather upholstery is beautifully patinated, contrasting with the gilt highlights on the frame to great effect. The turned stretchers are beautifully executed. When these chairs were made, most households would not have possessed armchairs, just the odd stool if they were lucky. These pieces would have been made for a wealthy patron for a very grand interior and they will add a wonderful decorative accent to any room
Moving in to the 18th century and from Italy to France, we have a lovely Régence period giltwood armchair, c.1715.
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The lovely needlework on this chair is later and not original but still adds a further decorative accent to this fine piece. Beautifully proportioned and finely carved, this chair is impressive and imposing but without being ostentatious. A lovely design. We return to Italy, this time c.1760, for our next armchair, a finely carved walnut example from the rococo period.
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This beautiful chair stands wonderfully well and has the highly unusual feature of a carved mask which seems to be related to classical Roman masks representing comedy on the head rail. Although mask decoration on antique furniture is common, these masks are usually those of gods and goddesses and not theatrical emblems as on this example. It is quite likely, therefore, that this piece was made either for a patron of the theatre or perhaps a famous actor or actress of the period who wanted to reference their profession inside their home as part of the furnishing scheme. This armchair is awaiting upholstery in the client's choice of fabric, the initial stuffing and preparation having been carried out. It is a very unusual and interesting piece. Of early 19th century Empire period, the next armchair is a very unusual reclining wing-back example, perfect at this time of year for keeping warm in a draughty room as the wings of the chair envelop anyone sitting in it, protecting them from cold air.
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Executed in superb quality mahogany, this piece has a reclining system which allows the sitter to recline at a variety of different adjustable, ratchet-supported angles. This is a sophisticated and unusual variant on the wing chair and will enhance any room as well as being supremely comfortable.
Of mid 19th century date and made in Venice we have an attractive saddle-seated curule form or x- framed armchair executed entirely in giltwood with profuse rococo-style carved detailing
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The chair's decoration is profoundly asymmetrical yet it stands beautifully and draws the eye in the very best way possible. It has wide proportions and is inspired by the great rococo designs which originated in France in this period, executed in a distinctly Venetian way.
In the neoclassical manner, we have a fine pair of painted and parcel gilt armchairs that were made in Italy c.1880
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with their husk and foliate carved frames and bud finials they unusually, and successfully, combine rounded upholstered sections within rectangular frames, showing the influence of a talented designer craftsman. These chairs are a distinctly Italian version of a basic chair design that was also popular in England, France and much of the rest of Europe during this period. We have four of these chairs available for purchase in two pairs.
Moving in to the 20 th century, we have a pair of Art Deco period French armchairs in an ebonised finish with luxurious, comfortable proportions.
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The ebonised finish has been polished and is finely complemented by the crushed velvet upholstery in off white colour which we had applied in our workshops. These chairs exemplify the elegance and poise of the finest Art Deco period furniture and their quality and decorative appeal is obvious.
Also French but of slightly later date, c.1940-50, is this pair of club armchairs with cloud-form backs
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Made in Paris in the mid 20th century, these chairs are elegant and comfortable and relate to the design output of Jean Royère and Jean-Michel Frank. Incredibly stylish, these chairs will enhance any furniture scheme.
Our finial armchairs are a set of eight, designed as dining chairs, by Tim Bates for Pieff, in England in the 1970s, c.1976. With their high backs they recall early 18th century Queen Anne period 'back stool's' but with chrome plated arms and frames-something that certainly was not in use in that period! Newly upholstered in a cream nubuck, these are elegant and sophisticated chairs and we have another pair available so could make a set of 10 if required.
Side Chairs
Chairs without arms are traditionally called side chairs in English furniture circles, despite the original name used being back stools as mentioned above (stools with high backs). We currently have just the one side chair design in stock with a pair and a single of the same model available but what a model it is.
Click here to view these chairs
These chairs are Ceylonese, made in the Galle district, and from the mid 19th century c.1840. They are primarily made from highly carved and lustrous ebony with elephant face and trunk form front legs. There is further carving to the rails, including a drop-carved cabochon apron, and a beautiful back splat with fine leaf carving. In the centre of the head rails are inlaid paterae consisting of native specimen woods from Ceylon set inside an ivory border. These chairs were inspired by European designs but executed in Asia for export and were highly sought after when made. They remain just as desirable today. They are highly decorative and a great cross-cultural fusion of skills and designs.
We hope that this gives you something of an overview of our current seat furniture collection and please do contact us for any more information you may require. In the meantime, a very happy New Year to all of our readers, we hope we will be able to help you with your own collections over the next twelve months.