Antique Collecting: Continental furniture

Antique Collecting: Continental furniture

Page 2 of 4

Louis XVI

A style that coincided roughly with the reign of this king: 1774 to 1793, and that is associated with a predominance of straight lines in place of curves. Tables and cabinets usually had square instead of rounded corners, and legs were square or rounded in place of cabriole. Furniture continued to be veneered and fitted with ormolu

Fig. 4. Louis XVI armchair.

mounts, and many pieces were decorated with plaques of Sevres porcelain; some of it in blue and white to imitate Wedgwood ware. There was a revival of interest in Boulle work, more of this was made to fill the demand, and it can be distinguished only with difficulty from that made earlier. Chairs no longer had the cabriole leg, but usually oval backs and turned legs; in both this and the preceding period they were often upholstered in tapestry.

Empire

Following the luxurious tastes of the eighteenth century, there was a revival of comparative austerity when the excesses of the Revolution finally died away. Instead of the richly mounted and colourful marquetry, the fashion was for plain mahogany with perhaps an inlay of brass and restrained ormolu mounts. The mahogany used was often of a darker colour and more even grain than that favoured in England, but there are a number of similarities between the Empire style in France and the Regency. Chairs, in particular, often had the sabre leg in both countries. It must be emphasized that old French furniture was costly when it was made, and has always maintained a high price.

Fig. 5. Louis XVI small table.

During the past hundred years, those who could not afford the genuine article bought copies which were made to sell at reasonable prices and, apart from these copies which were not made with intent to deceive, it has paid the unscrupulous to spend time and money in making fakes. Remembering the years that have passed since most of it was made, some two centuries, and the fact that much was destroyed and damaged during the Revolution, it is surprising that so many fine examples have survived. A lot of these have been repaired skilfully: lost veneer replaced, lost tops of tables restored, cupboards converted into drawers, and so forth. Thus, with French furniture as much as with any other, the collector must be very cautious indeed, and the subject needs careful study before its qualities can be appreciated and assessed.

With English furniture it is rarely possible to name the maker unless bills or other definite evidence has been preserved. Only very occasionally is a cabinet-maker's label found pasted inside a piece. French craftsmen, however, had the custom of marking their productions (or the majority of them) with a steel stamp bearing their name or initials. This was followed, when applicable, by a monogram of the letters J M E, standing for jurande des menuisiers-ébénistes; showing that the article was up to the standard required by the Corporation of French cabinet-makers and had been inspected by their appointed jury. This custom, also, has had the attention of the fakers, and more pieces bear the alleged stamp of famous craftsmen than they could ever have had the time to make.

The following is a very brief list of the more eminent French cabinet-makers of the eighteenth century, of whom there were nearly 1,000 working in 1790:

J. H. Reisener
Bernard Van Reisen Burgh
(Stamped B.V.R.B.)
J. F. Oeben
Martin Carlin
Roger Vandercruse Lacroix
(Stamped R.V.L.C.) G.Jacob
(Specialized in making chairs)
L. Boudin
P. Roussel
D. Rontgen
C. C. Saunier
A. Weisweiler

Page 1 <<< Page 2 >>> Page 3

Antique Continental Furniture News

Bing: antique continental furniture site:msnbc.msn.com
Search results

How to buy home decorations at auctions - TODAY Home & Garden ...
Skinner: At this Antiques Roadshow regular, look for European and American furniture and decorative-art sales. ... estate sales and those of English and Continental furniture ...
Isolated lodge offers cozy retreat in the Rockies - Travel ...
... Lake, nestled in a cirque at 5,450 feet, hard against the Continental Divide. ... But all have antique furniture, plump mattresses and thick comforters that invite ...
14 romantic hotels - Travel - Destination Travel - msnbc.com
Each bungalow is filled with Balinese teak furniture, including intricately carved armoires and antique ... 242/369-0342, seascapeinn.com, from $110, continental ...
Top 10 small romantic inns and resorts - Travel - Destination ...
... rooms, individually decorated with period furniture ... closest thing to a lover's paradise in the continental ... Suite where you can draw a bath in the antique claw ...
New York City hotels from $129 - Travel - Deals - msnbc.com
Add $15 for continental breakfast for two. Taxes of 14.25 percent and a ... features, including high ceilings, oak banisters, and carved antique furniture ...
John Edwards: 'I did not break the law' - politics - More politics ...
... allowed to leave the continental ... she listed items of furniture in the memo lines of checks ? written in amounts of $10,000-$200,000 for "chairs," "antique ...
John Edwards: 'I did not break the law' - TODAY News - TODAY.com
... is not allowed to leave the continental ... said she listed items of furniture in the memo lines of checks ? written in amounts of $10,000-$200,000 for "chairs," "antique ...
50 ritzy weekend retreats - Travel - Spring Travel - msnbc.com
... in a standard room with a queen-size bed, continental ... Its 32 guest rooms have period antiques and baths ... The rooms have wood furniture and an airy mountain ...
New York City hotels from $129 - travel - TODAY.com
Add $15 for continental breakfast for two. Taxes of 14.25 percent and a daily ... original features, including high ceilings, oak banisters, and carved antique furniture ...
Top 10 small romantic inns and resorts - travel - TODAY.com
... hued rooms, individually decorated with period furniture ... the closest thing to a lover's paradise in the continental ... Suite where you can draw a bath in the antique claw ...

Newsfeed display by CaRP