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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‘Official’s hat’ type Qing armchairs for sale

13 February 2023

The Asian art sale at John McInnis in Massachusetts on February 25 includes this pair of Qing ‘official’s hat’ type huanghuali armchairs.

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American auction offers items with London dealer provenances

13 February 2023

The English Interior sale at Stair Galleries includes furniture, fine art and decorative objects with provenances to well-known London dealers.

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Top stories this week – including news of a George II console table making over 90 times estimate

12 February 2023

The most viewed stories on this website over the last week included news of an important George II console table bringing huge interest and setting a house record a Twickenham auction house.

Console table

Auction bidding battle for rare Kentian console ends at six-figure sum

06 February 2023

An important George II console table emerged for sale at The Auction Room London on January 31.

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‘Akin to living in a private museum’

06 February 2023

Wife describes how collector husband Chris Hancock’s latest artworks had to fight for space in a family home

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Chandelier shone in Pugin’s Gem

06 February 2023

This brass and iron ecclesiastic chandelier or corona lucis is by Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin (1812-52), the most famous name in the Gothic Revival.

Louis XV commode

Battersea Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair’s busy opening day heralds strong sales

30 January 2023

A Louis XV commode decorated c.1975 with shells by the designer Anthony Redmile was among the standout sales at the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair’s opening day.

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Collectors discover the value of Vuitton Explorer trunks

30 January 2023

Late 19th century Louis Vuitton Explorer trunks are a rare and desirable subset of vintage luggage.

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The web shop window: Victorian reclining armchair

30 January 2023

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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A 1920s Cotswolds dresser is among five lots to watch this week

23 January 2023

With estimates from £120, here are five previews of items coming up at auction this week.

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5 Questions: carpets and textiles dealer James Cohen

23 January 2023

James Cohen is one of the dealers standing at LARTA which opens this week in Battersea Evolution on the mezzanine of the Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair.

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Second chance to own a pioneering Summers plywood armchair

16 January 2023

Bidders who missed out on a version of Gerald Summers’ 1933-34 plywood armchair sold for £20,000 as part of a collection of Simple Furniture at Lyon & Turnbull last October did not have too long to wait for another to appear for sale.

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Cabinet plates designed by Dresser make over five times estimate at Bonhams Skinner

09 January 2023

A set of eight Minton Aesthetic movement bone cabinet plates topped the Bonhams Skinner (27.5/25% buyer’s premium) sale of British pottery and porcelain that ran online from Marlborough, Massachusetts, in the last days of 2022.

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Rectory sale rolls out wealth of English furniture

09 January 2023

Among a wealth of English furniture consigned from a Wiltshire country house the outstanding items were a George I japanned bureau-cabinet and a pair of George III carved giltwood girandoles.

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Furniture combination becomes centre of attention

09 January 2023

The chest of drawers and the kneehole desk are both classic forms of early Georgian walnut furniture. However, rarely are they seen on the same piece.

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Pick of the week: Take tea early with an Elers English caddy

02 January 2023

Although Dutchmen John and David Elers came to London sometime in the 1680s as silversmiths, the brothers are remembered today as the potters who brought fine unglazed stonewares to Staffordshire.

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Dealer Hawkins to sell townhouses tempters

02 January 2023

Antiques dealer and taxidermy specialist Emma Hawkins is selling a collection from her townhouses in Edinburgh and London at Sotheby’s this month.

George I walnut desk

George I walnut ‘combination’ furniture stars in our pick of five auction highlights

23 December 2022

ATG’s weekly selection of items that caught bidders’ eyes includes a rare piece of furniture combining a desk and chest of drawers that made over six times estimate in Dublin.

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Socialite’s bedroom opened up

19 December 2022

Pieces that had decorated Paris home of a famous patron of the arts come to Fontainebleau auction

Eugène Manet

Hotung ‘jewel in the crown’ Degas proves precious at auction

12 December 2022

The second tranche of the collection of Hong Kong property investor Sir Joseph Hotung (1930-2021) generated some strong competition at Sotheby’s in London with a number of high-value pictures, as well some exceptional pieces of furniture, ceramics and decorative art, on offer last week.

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