Thursday, February 14, 2008

Antique Chairs

Antique Chairs

Antique chairs can take their place in nearly any room given the wide variety of styles and materials available In a contemporary room for example mission style chairs add the warmth of age while keeping to smooth lines or Asian rosewood chairs can lend richness of design and color Of course they also provide either the central focus or a finishing touch in a room that already uses antique furniture or oldfashioned styles Chairs were a very distinct status symbol during most of European history Chairs with backs were reserved solely for the elite through the late Renaissance as most people sat on stools or benches antique,antique auctions,antique books,antique cars,antique china,antique clocks,antique dealer,antique dolls,antique furniture,antique jewelry,antique necklace,antique painting,antiques and collectibles,asian antiques,collectables,collectible,heirloom,oil painting,old books,vintage cars,vintage clothes,vintage dresses,vintage guitar,vintage t shirts Because they were such a luxury item makers lavished work on these and so early antique chairs show a good deal of elaborate carving on the backs sides and feet It wasnt until the mid 1600s that chairs with backs were widely available due to the introduction of canework woven cane for both the backs and seats Armchairs made their first appearance during the late 16th century and most of the 17th century they too were reserved only for the highest levels of the aristocracy At the French court for example only princes and the reigning monarchs were allowed to sit in armchairs Most of this furniture has a very heavy substantial feel to it befitting its social status The designs are somewhat boxy and the arms tend to come right out to the end of the seat in contrast to most of todays chairs where it ends an inch or two before

Early carved wooden chairs like these tend to cost in the four and fivefigure range If you like the look but dont have the budget consider Victorianera imitations The carving is rarely as elaborate or masterly but they are a much more affordable usually in the hundreds or low thousands for the very finest examples way to possess this kind of antique chair. Queen Anne style is defined as beginning with her reign in 1702 but lasting past her 1714 death until about the middle of the century These antique chairs are typically slender with graceful curved lines and much less carving Where there is carving it tends to echo classical forms such as scrolls or Greek elements Some but not all had the upholstery built into the chair design rather than relying on cushions Walnut was the most popular wood during this time Wing chairs upholstered chairs designed for relaxation rather than work and with wings designed to protect the sitter from drafts first became popular during this period. Chippendale was perhaps the most famous furniture designer of all time His fusion style combining baroque rococo and Asian elements was an international hit and his design book Gentleman and Cabinet Makers Director is still used in design schools today This style lasted from about 1750 through the 1830s. His designs further simplified chair frames except for openback chairs which featured very elegant and light frameworks such as the famous lyre pattern The legs ended either in basic geometric shapes or in the form of an animals paw Sometimes the carving featured shapes from Chinese design such as pagodas Depending on quality these antique chairs typically begin around $1 500 and up to the high five figures for work by Chippendale his son or his workshops. Victorian antique chairs like the rest of Victorian furniture are typically massive and elaborate and incorporate various fashionable historic or international flavors Upholstery was more common than not usually in the rich reds the Victorians favored but also in needlepoint Gothicstyle chairs brought back carving particularly fruits flowers and mythical beasts while other pieces retained the simpler Queen Anne or Chippendale curving forms Many of these chairs feature rounded seats better to accommodate womens hoops and bustles

Prices range according to materials quality and condition but individual pieces are available for around $150. The Arts and Crafts style reintroduced bare wood and architectural shapes Frank Lloyd Wright even designed the chairs to best suit his houses with their emphasis on simplicity Le Corbusiers art deco designs were another furniture revolution emphasizing chairs that followed the shapes of the human body and using steel chrome and black leather. For early 20th century antique chairs like most vintage furniture the designer is a primary determiner of price as well as condition and quality. Single chairs are by far the most affordable while pairs or dining sets command premium prices because sets where each piece is in good condition are rarer Handmade pieces naturally are also more expensive. The older the antique chair the more signs of wear or patina it should display If the wood looks uniform on the entire piece it is likely a reproduction Ask whether upholstery is the original or a replacement If it is a recent replacement that lowers the value.

Antique Furniture

Wonderful eighteenth and nineteenth century antique furniture originated in such disparate locations as cosmopolitan Barcelona and rural communities of upstate New York A small museum in Antoni Gaudis Park Guell houses examples of this architects flowing Art Nouveau furniture while there are Shaker museums from New England to the American South that display this functional minimalist designs. Older styles of antique furniture from England and America include William and Mary Queene Anne Chippendale and Federal Empire furniture is associated with Napoleon Bonaparte other French antique furniture styles go by the names of several King Louises while Renaissance Baroque and Rococo are more continental furniture periods. Often architects such as the previously mentioned Antoni Gaudi or the American Frank Lloyd Wright design furniture too Decorative arts in addition to painting sculpture and architecture are influenced by broader trends For instance the discovery of Pompeii had a major impact on furniture style When Mt Vesuvius erupted in A D 79 it buried Pompeii and Herculaneum under many feet of ash freezing in time these Roman cities It was not until 1748 that theses cities were discovered The excavation of ancient Roman culture had a wideranging effect and the decorativeness of the ancient world was incorporated into furniture design Thomas Chippendale a British furniture maker was one of the many artists and designers influenced by this neoclassic style In 1754 Thomas Chippendale 17181779 published The Gentleman and CabinetMakers Director an extremely influential book about the various kinds of furniture He designed many pieces of neoclassic furniture for Harewood House an English country house built in the mideighteenth century This estate is located near Leeds England north of London and has large grounds with formal gardens and woods that are open to tours spectacular art and antiques collections in their state rooms and many examples of Chippendale furniture The Chippendale Collection a page of the Thomas Chippendale at Harewood House website features photographs and descriptions of period Chippendale decorative art You can click sections such as Chairs Stools Mirrors Lighting Beds Tables Desks and Cabinet Furniture to learn more Popularizers of antique furniture are the identical twins Leigh and Leslie Keno They become wellknown appraising antique furniture on PBS Antiques Roadshow and received the 2005 National Humanities Medal Leslie is a senior vice president for American furniture at Sothebys while Leigh is president of Leigh Keno American Antiques a gallery in New York City that he runs with Mitchell Keno their older brother They have also written an interesting book with Joan Barzilay Freund called Hidden Treasures


TIPS BUYING ANTIQUE FURNITURE

1 Buy antique furniture at a local auction house or auctions online this is where the profit is

2 Use your instincts Buy antique furniture that grabs your attention immediately that first impression is important for 2 reasons When you really love the piece doing research about the style origin and era will turn out to be fun and interesting And second this piece will most likely sell very easy

3 Do not act as an amateur even if you are You could receive a lot of unnecessary sales talk and it will be much more difficult to obtain a large discount

4 Know what you are buying Although it takes some experience to recognize them be aware of reproductions and fake antiques

5 Dont be afraid to ask for discounts most sellers include a 1030% margin to all there items

6 Inspect the item you are interested in pick it up turn it around make sure it has no hidden flaws Keep an eye on the sales person while doing that If they get nervous there might be a something lose or damaged Also ask the seller if the furniture has been restored at some point it affects the value of an antique

7 Look for shops who have an antique piece at display but who are not specialized in selling antique furniture Chances are this will be a great bargain When it doesnt fit the main philosophy of the store the owner is probably not an expert in the field and will be happy to sell it and move on

8 Do not offer cash money negotiate the best price possible for paying by cheque or credit card first Once you have your card or cheque book ready ask if there is an extra discount for paying with cash Almost every seller prefers cash so use every trick in the book


9 Always get a receipt especially from auctioneers or antique dealers Make sure it states the age style wood type value and if there was any damage or restoration This can be used as a guarantee when false or missing statements occur

10 Don’t make the mistake of buying more furniture than you can transport in one trip At most estate sales and auctions sold items must be picked up the same day of purchase Make sure to bring blankets and straps to pack and transport you antiques without damaging them

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