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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The furniture price adjustments that show a positive trend

10 October 2022

While traditional antique furniture prices are still relatively cheap, contemporary and mid-20th century material continues to be an expanding market.

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All cisterns go in Gloucestershire

10 October 2022

Two classic country house ‘garden’ form 17th century examples show their mettle

Brooch

Shipwreck furniture and lock of hair with Horatio Nelson links attract collectors at auction

04 October 2022

A bookcase made from the wreck of Nelson’s former flagship HMS Foudroyant and brooch containing a lock Nelson's hair sold at auction last month.

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Knox clock combines Celtic tradition and Victorian innovation

03 October 2022

Archibald Knox’s work for Liberty & Co often drew on the rich cultural heritage of his native Isle of Man.

Bookcase-display cabinet

Pick of the week: Cabinet made of wood from Nelson’s flagship makes 13-times estimate

03 October 2022

HMS Foudroyant, which served as Nelson’s flagship in the Mediterranean Squadron, had been touring English seaside resorts as an attraction when it was wrecked off Blackpool Sands on June 16, 1897.

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Showy Victorian taste lights up Shropshire sale

03 October 2022

Literally the highlight of Halls’ (23% buyer’s premium) Autumn Sale was a hall lantern demonstrating showy high Victorian taste at its most confident.

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The web shop window: Gothic Revival oak hall chairs

03 October 2022

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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PAD prepares for a joyful London return

03 October 2022

PAD London returns for its 14th staging at Berkeley Square, London, coinciding as usual with Frieze Week.

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Flamboyant mirror frames make over 20-times estimate in Yorkshire

03 October 2022

Complex cartouche-shaped marginal wall mirrors from the early 18th century are notably rarer than arched or rectangular examples.

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Global interest in Chester

03 October 2022

A pair of 19th century globes by the Newton family is on offer from FE Anderson of Welshpool at the Chester Decorative Antiques & Art Fair.

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Seventeenth-century Hôtel Lambert furnishes enough lots for a six-sale series

03 October 2022

Sotheby’s Paris is selling the contents from the Hôtel Lambert, a 17th century Parisian Hôtel Particulier on the Ile de La Cité.

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Salon set for sizeable 2022 staging in New York

03 October 2022

Salon Art + Design puts the emphasis on the eclectic nature of its offering, bringing together vintage, modern and contemporary design and setting it against 20th century art.

Sir Terence Conran

Collection from Sir Terence Conran’s home comes to auction

22 September 2022

A collection of items from Barton Court, the home of the late Sir Terence Conran (1931-2020), is coming to auction at Bonhams in December.

Pietra dura animal panels

Pick of the week: A collecting passion set in stone

19 September 2022

Florentine pietra dura animal panels from home of art dealer Sir Jack Mervyn Frank Baer take six-figure sum.

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Get set for the Getty collection

19 September 2022

Ann and Gordon Getty sale turns focus to the best of British and Continental furnishing.

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ATG LETTER: Can readers name the designer of this table?

19 September 2022

I wondered whether any of your readers would be able to identify a designer or maker of this table?

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Enjoy a day on the tiles

19 September 2022

The annual Nottingham Tile Fair is a small specialist event with 10 dealers at the upcoming fair in St Jude’s Hall, Mapperley, Nottingham.

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Put some chrome in your home

19 September 2022

Among the pieces included in Freemans’ Art and Design sale is this Womb chair by the Finnish-American designer Eero Saarinen, a design from 1947-48.

Giltwood chaise

Autumn auction season begins with deep seated interest in Scottish sofas

12 September 2022

Pairs of Regency sofas brought some very comfortable sums at two Scottish auction houses as the autumn season began last week.

Turner's armchair

Bonhams brings oak and folk sale to Scotland

12 September 2022

Bonhams has relaunched its oak and folk art sales – this time in Edinburgh.

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