A Handy Guide to English Antiques
Buying and owning old furniture is more fun and interesting when you know a little history
Have you ever been shopping for antiques and the dealer said something like, “This is a very special Georgian chest of drawers”? Perhaps you nodded knowingly, but wondered to yourself, “Who is this Georgia guy, and why did he have a lot of furniture named after him?”
You may not be able to pick out the difference between Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, Duncan Phyfe and American Empire, but wouldn’t you like to know at least approximately when those furniture periods were? For me, part of loving an antique is knowing something about it. And to be a smart shopper, it’s helpful to have at least a rudimentary idea of the historical matrix through which these wonderful and unique styles of furniture and accessories came into being.
You may not be able to pick out the difference between Chippendale, Adam, Hepplewhite, Duncan Phyfe and American Empire, but wouldn’t you like to know at least approximately when those furniture periods were? For me, part of loving an antique is knowing something about it. And to be a smart shopper, it’s helpful to have at least a rudimentary idea of the historical matrix through which these wonderful and unique styles of furniture and accessories came into being.
Jacobean. This style was popular between 1600 and 1690, and is named after James I. These pieces were medieval in appearance, incorporating straight lines, rigid (even stodgy) designs, sturdy construction, ornate carvings and a dark finish usually rendered in oak. The suite of Jacobean furniture adorning this room gives you a sense of this style.
William and Mary. Named after William and Mary of England (1689–1694), this style was popular from 1690 to 1725. It has Dutch and Chinese influences, and is characterized by trumpet turned legs terminating in a ball or Spanish foot, padded or caned seats, and Oriental lacquer-work.
In case you’re wondering what a trumpet turned leg looks like, here’s a little sketch I did. Trumpet turned legs are fairly thick and rather curvy, with a narrow bottom that flares upward and outward like a trumpet as you progress up the leg. The legs are often connected with a serpentine stretcher, which you can see in the previous photo.
Consigned Queen Ann Style Low Boy Chest
Queen Anne. Named after — guess who? — Queen Anne, who reigned from 1702 to 1714, this style is a refinement of the William and Mary style, with a moderately proportioned, graceful appearance. It employs cabriole legs, which terminate in a pad or drake foot, and bat wing drawer pulls, which are illustrated on this reproduction chest.
American Drew Cherry Grove Splat Back Side Chair, Antique Cherry, Set of 2 - $1,090.00
The fiddle-back chair back is another hint that you are looking at Queen Anne furniture. Oak, and eventually walnut, were the favorite woods of this period.
Early Georgian. Early Georgian (1714–1760) is named after kings George I and George II. Early Georgian furniture is a more ornate version of Queen Anne, characterized by heavier proportions, elaborately carved cabriole legs terminating in a pad or ball-and-claw foot, ornate carvings, pierced back splats, and the use of gilding. Chippendale is a sub-category of early Georgian. The wood of choice was walnut, eventually morphing to mahogany.
Antique English Georgian Flame Mahogany 5 Drawer Chest of Drawers c1810
Late Georgian. This style spans the reign of George III, 1760–1811. (You know, the English king whom the American colonies rebelled against.) Adam, Hepplewhite and Sheraton are all late Georgian styles that emphasized delicate, straight lines, light construction, contrasting veneers and neoclassical motifs and ornamentation, all on a mahogany base.
Regency. When George III became mentally ill in 1810, his son, the Prince of Wales, ruled in his place as the prince regent — and voilà, the regency style came into being. The prince was much more interested in art, interior design, fashion and food than in governance (I can sympathize), and therefore his tastes had a very strong influence on style during his reign.
The regency style (1812–1830) closely follows the neoclassical late Georgian, but with a new influence from the furniture of ancient Egypt. Its hallmarks include rosettes, masks, metal paw feet on chair and table legs, and loose-ring handles — some with lion masks. Brass was used for decoration, and rosewood and zebrawood veneers lent a striking look. Mahogany was still the wood of choice for most furniture makers.
The regency style (1812–1830) closely follows the neoclassical late Georgian, but with a new influence from the furniture of ancient Egypt. Its hallmarks include rosettes, masks, metal paw feet on chair and table legs, and loose-ring handles — some with lion masks. Brass was used for decoration, and rosewood and zebrawood veneers lent a striking look. Mahogany was still the wood of choice for most furniture makers.
Victorian. Named for Queen Victoria (who else?), who reigned from 1837 to 1901, the Victorian style draws its influence from Gothic forms with heavy proportions, dark finishes, elaborate carving and ornamentation. The Victorian period was the first furniture style to capitalize on mass production.
Victorian can be rather confusing, but a lot of fun, since it included the Gothic-, Egyptian-, Greek-, rococo-, Renaissance- and Queen Anne–revival styles, as furniture makers systematically pillaged the past for their inspiration. Mahogany and rosewood were favorites, and oak made a comeback.
Victorian can be rather confusing, but a lot of fun, since it included the Gothic-, Egyptian-, Greek-, rococo-, Renaissance- and Queen Anne–revival styles, as furniture makers systematically pillaged the past for their inspiration. Mahogany and rosewood were favorites, and oak made a comeback.
Eastlake. The Eastlake style was named after Charles Eastlake. His designs were a reaction to the over-the-top rococo revival and Renaissance revival styles popular during the Victorian era.
I wanted to make it a separate category here, because although Eastlake furniture is technically considered Victorian (having been popular between 1870 and 1890), it was a radical departure from the norm, and there is still a lot of it available today in antiques stores at fairly reasonable prices. (And to be honest, I have a soft spot in my heart for it because my grandmother loved it.)
I wanted to make it a separate category here, because although Eastlake furniture is technically considered Victorian (having been popular between 1870 and 1890), it was a radical departure from the norm, and there is still a lot of it available today in antiques stores at fairly reasonable prices. (And to be honest, I have a soft spot in my heart for it because my grandmother loved it.)
Eastlake furniture is more geometric than other fussy and fancy Victorian styles, and incorporates modest curves. The carving seen on these pieces is lightly incised rather than deeply carved. Wood grains were emphasized, with oak and cherry often in use.
Arts and Crafts. At its zenith between 1880 and 1910, Arts and Crafts was also a late Victorian style, but something altogether different. As seen in this living room, the Arts and Crafts style is characterized by rectilinear design, simple and straight construction, and exposed joinery, often using medium- or dark-stained oak. The terms mission and Craftsman are also used to describe Arts and Crafts furniture. Stickley is a well-known American manufacturer of the period, and the company still produces a high-quality version of this furniture.
Expert? OK, so you’re not an expert, but at least you’ve made a start. You’re pretty sure that the chest in this room is Eastlake and not Jacobean. Maybe you own a few antiques and now have some idea “when” they’re from … or at least you’re more curious. Knowing who “that Georgia guy” is might give you a little more confidence when you’re out antique shopping and make it more fun.
In case you need more help, Museum Furniture and Connected Lines are two good sources of information online. They’re useful to me whenever I’m trying to figure out whether something is regency or rococo. Enjoy!
More: Smart Shopper: How to Judge Antique Furniture Quality
In case you need more help, Museum Furniture and Connected Lines are two good sources of information online. They’re useful to me whenever I’m trying to figure out whether something is regency or rococo. Enjoy!
More: Smart Shopper: How to Judge Antique Furniture Quality
But for our purposes, I have distilled things down to basics: the primary historical divisions within which a style of furniture design had its lifespan. We’ll focus on the last 400 years, since most of us won’t own antiques much older than that.
Oh, and one other thing: English, French and American antiques all have different divisions, so we’ll focus on English for now and save the rest for later.