Posts Tagged ‘antique french tea table’

The French Revolution in 1789 brought a temporary halt to the output of precious jewels in the country which had until then been the leading producer. Ostentatious adornment was felt to conflict with the revolutionary principles of egalitarism. Moreover, the abolition of the traditional guild system, which in the past had ensured a high standard by regulating the terms of apprenticeship, led to a rapid decline in quality. And finally there was a lack of patronage and a scarcity of precious metals and gemstones. Many French aristocrats, the traditional patrons of French jewellers, fled the country, taking their valuables to sell abroad as a means of livelihood. French jewellers were therefore deprived both of old jewels with gems and precious metals for re-setting and of new imported bullion and gemstones. It was during this time of upheaval that the prized French crown jewels were stolen.
From the French Revolution to Waterloo
Not surprisingly, earrings created at this time reflect the impoverishment of design and production; only inexpensive examples of low artistic value based on Revolutionary motifs are to be found. One design used glass and debris from the demolished Bastille. Another commonly known as boucle dorellleii la guillotine, and favoured in Nantes rather than Paris, consisted of a small guillotine surmounted by a red cap, with a pendant below in the form of a decapitated crowned head.
Fine jewellery staged a gradual comeback during the years of the Directory (1795-99); France began to recover its leadership in the field; new motifs and designs were developed, remaining in favour until the early 19th century.
The new earrings, in line with the general interest in classicism, were designed to complement the ‘A la Grecque’ hairstyles and the fashion for flimsy white dresses inspired by Classical goddesses. (Indeed, the passion for pale, flimsy chemise-dresses with drapery clinging to the body was so great that some ladies even wore their clothes wet to enhance the effect. As a consequence there was an increase in deaths from pneu-
P. 90, 91 monia.) Fashionable earrings of the period were usually large and geometrical, with the emphasis on flat linearity rather than volume. Although quite large, they were usually very light; gold was still scarce and earrings would be cut out of thin sheets, frequently of low carat gold; enamel often took the place of gemstones. Once again, this tendency can be explained partly by the general scarcity of stones on the market, partly by a desire to create earrings which would complement the face without overpowering it with an excess of jewels.
Between 1790 and 1810 two main types can be distinguished. The first is known as the poissarde, so called because it was originally worn by fishwives (poissardes) in the market of Les Halles in Paris. It is characterized by a hinged fitting at the back, either semicircular or S-shaped, running from bottom to top, where it fastens to the front section of the earring. The front is usually in the form of a flat panel or half-A pair of poissarde earrings set with citrines, early 19th century, front and side view. Note the S-shaped hinged fitting running from top to 5()ttom.
hoop decorated with enamel, often pierced and set with a few imitation or semiprecious stones. The second type is a long pendent earring with a combination of flat and extremely thin gold elements linked to each other by means of fine chains. As with the poissardes they are hardly ever set with precious stones but are decorated with polychrome enamel, pierced gold and filigree. One example incorporates marquise-shaped surmounts decorated respectively with grisaille miniature portraits of man and wife in profile on a light blue enamel ground. A double chain connects the surmount with a central element decorated with sentimental imagery: a dove above a pair of red enamel flaming hearts, followed by the inscription Fidel in a garland of blue forget-me-nots and red leaves. Though typical of early i 9th-century earrings, and probably French, to judge from the inscription, the sentimental imagery is an unusual feature. Earrings, unlike other forms of jewellery, are normally purely decorative and hardly ever display the explicitly sentimental motifs which are often found on rings — the traditional symbol of love and eternal union, and a normal betrothal gift since Antiquity.
Earrings of these two types were worn throughout Europe, not only in France. Maria de la Concepcion Rodriguez de Caspe, a lady from Granada, for example, was painted by Jose Gil in 18 16 wearing earrings that have two circular elements each set with a red unfaceted stone, probably coral, connected by fine chains. Once again the typical linearity, lack of volume and absence of precious gemstones are noticeable. Similar examples were also extensively produced in Sicily and in Northern Italy; some measure over 8 cms in length and still remain light, being made of thin 18 carat gold sheets and weighing on average 7 grams. Northern Italian earrings display some distinctive features, in particular a plaque stamped out of a thin circular, oval or rectangular sheet of gold. This is decorated at the centre in relief to simulate a cameo, with the profile of a warrior from Classical mythology. Classical martial imagery, such as Mars and Bellona, both war-deities, were popular subjects during Napoleon’s campaigns in Northern Italy of 1796-97. The borders, however, present a characteristic form of decoration with small hollow hemispherical motifs imitating beaded wirework, filigree, palmette and flowerhead motifs.
The coronation of Napoleon in 1804 and the creation of a grand Imperial court prompted demand for extremely important jewels. The overall design of earrings remained unchanged, but gold and enamel were replaced by precious stones, dia-
P. go monds being again in favour. This can clearly be seen in a pair of diamond pendent earrings, where the general design continues to be long and linear, but fine connecting chains, typical of the earlier gold earrings, have been replaced by a grand chain of brilliant-cut diamonds.
Until the closing years of the i 8th century gemstones had always been mounted in closed settings which did not allow light to pass from behind through the stone. This technique enabled the jewellers to match, modify and intensify the tint of coloured gemstones by placing coloured foils behind the stone, but this greatly reduced the sparkle and brilliance of diamonds. Towards i 80o jewellers, realizing the importance of light for the glitter of diamonds, started to claw- or collet-set them in open mounts, although smaller and rose-cut diamonds and coloured stones continued to be mounted in closed settings. Many pendent earrings of this time are transitional in type, with a large diamond, usually the centre stone, mounted in an open setting and smaller stones, generally in the border, in closed setting.
By the early i 9th century, French supremacy in jewellery design had been reestablished. This was largely due to Napoleon’s enthusiasm for the development of French arts and technology. He regarded the luxury of his court as an aspect of national prestige, not mere frivolity. This led to an immense number of commissions for jewellery, which was then distributed throughout Europe as diplomatic gifts.
It is at this time that complete sets of matching jewels known as parures begin to be worn. They consisted of a necklace, bracelets, a pair of pendent earrings and frequently also a tiara. Amidst such an abundance of gemstones, earrings continued to be simple, the favourites being long pearl or diamond pendeloques on small surmounts; they can be seen being worn by the Empress Josephine and other members of the imperial family in portraits by David, Gerard and Regnault. Another favoured type consists of a cluster with a large gemstone or cameo at the centre within a border of pearls or diamonds, often holding a similarly set pear-shaped drop. This is well represented by a pair of diamond and emerald briolette earrings, part of the parure probably by Nitot given by Napoleon to Stephanie Beauharnais, a niece of the Empress Josephine, on the occasion of her marriage in i 806. (This is an example of the political role of jewellery; she was marrying the Grand Duke of Baden’s heir, an alliance intended to consolidate the Confederacy of the Rhine.) This parure is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the bride is portrayed wearing it in a painting by Gerard. The popularity of earrings set with cameos, carved both in shell and hardstone and occasionally in precious stones such as emeralds and sapphires, was a consequence of Napoleon’s interest in carved and engraved gems. Following the Italian campaigns of 1796, when many cameos were brought back to France from Italy, Napoleon opened in Paris a school of gem engraving which boosted the production of cameos of Classical inspiration which were then frequently set in earrings.
1815-1830
The Congress of Vienna brought about the restoration of the legitimate monarchs in Europe in 18 15, and with it the desire to emulate the style of the Ancien Regime in all the applied arts. In jewellery earrings reverted to the form of i 8th-century girandoles and pendeloques, but they were adapted to the more impoverished economic situation. The scarcity of precious metals and gemstones prompted the development of filigree and cannetille which allowed jewellers to make do with very little gold. Both cannetille, named after a type of embroidery made with very fine gold and silver thread, and filigree techniques consist of working fine gold wires into lace-work patterns. Long but light pendeloque and girandole earrings manufactured on the Continent in this way were mainly set with semiprecious stones such as foiled topazes, amethysts and citrines. In England, which had been spared the consequences of the war, more expensive gemstones such as emeralds, diamonds and rubies (but never sapphires at this period) mounted in cannetille settings were often used. These gemstones are almost invariably set in closed collets lined with metallic foils tinted to intensify the colour and improve the match of the stones. The earrings are usually found as part of parures, accompanied by a pair of bracelets and a necklace with a detachable pendant at the centre designed to match the earrings either as a girandole, or, when the earrings are designed as pendeloques, in the form of a lozenge or Latin cross. These parures were extremely popular in the 18 2os and early 1830s: their gold filigree work of burr, tendrils, scrolls and lace-like patterns was often embellished with leaves and florets stamped out of thin gold sheet sometimes in contrasting colours. The two exceptional English examples illustrated, set with rubies and emeralds both comprising a necklace with girandole pendant and a pair of matching earrings, are particularly notable for the quality of the gemstones and for the pristine condition of the cannetille work, something which has rarely survived intact because of its lightness and fragility. The overall design of the girandoles, elongated in shape and with the central drop longer than the two at the sides, is close to late i 8th-century examples, but the cartouche-shaped surmount of the example set with emeralds, the parsimonious use of gemstones and the fine intricacy of light gold wire and granulation make them typical of their date.
The 183 Os
Around the 1830s long earrings reaching almost the shoulders became extremely popular. The fashion was prompted by changes in dress and hairstyle. Couturiers of the time had launched the fashion for dresses with wide bell-shaped skirts, narrow waists and leg-of-mutton sleeves which expanded sideways out of all proportion, giv-
P. 74 ing the upper part of the female silhouette a marked triangular shape. The head became the focal point of interest for jewellers and milliners: hairstyles became extremely complex, with tight curls and knots of false and natural hair gathered at the top and side of the head and embellished with all sorts of feathers, plumes and jewelled aigrettes. This exaggerated horizontal expansion of female silhouette and overabundance of hairstyle decoration needed to be counterbalanced by long drop earrings which also well suited the very generous decolletees of evening dresses.
The most fashionable earrings of the time were designed as elongated drops measuring up to TO— 12 CMS in length stamped out of thin gold sheet and decorated en
Portrait of a lady wearing a pair of long pendent earrings set with faceted semiprecious gemstone drops, to counterbalance the side expansion of the elaborate hairstyles fashionable in the 183os. By Adele Kindt (Belgian 1804-1884).
• are in shape to match the pendant of the necklace: lozenge-shaped pendants are in most cases accompanied by pendeloque earrings, girandole pendants by similarly designed earrings.
repousse (embossed); their rich scroll, shell and foliate motifs were often applied with minute naturalistic decorative elements in gold of various colours and set with gems. A good example of this type is the pair of torpedo-shaped earrings reproduced on P. 93, decorated with embossed quatrefoil motifs suspended from a shell-shaped surmount.
Some of the earliest examples of repousse earrings are also decorated with applied cannetille motifs in the form of burr and scrolling tendrils and can be regarded as transitional between cannetille and repousse earrings.
By the early 1840s gold repousse earrings had completely supplanted the costly and time-consuming cannetille type. Their lightness was dictated partly by economic considerations and partly by the necessity of keeping such large earrings light and comfortable for the wearer. Repousse earrings were cheap to produce. They were made on mechanical presses and needed only very thin sheets of precious metal, though the repousse work itself was often set with small semiprecious gemstones, turquoises being among the favourites.
If a large stone was used, it was likely to be aquamarine, chrysoberyl, amethyst, topaz or citrine, set within a scrolled border of rich gold repousse work. The aquamarine drops reproduced on p. 95 exemplify the trend particularly well, in that they are extremely long (12 ems approximately) and light (weighing approximately 1 _(we i gh i ng approx i mately 15 grams each) and are set with Brazilian aquamarines of fancy cut, well adapting to the repousse scroll-motif mount.
In Switzerland and Northern Italy, where enamel techniques were mastered at the time, polychrome enamel plaques could replace gemstones.
These earrings might look massive but they were in fact fairly light, as one can tell from the fact that they did not, like the heavy girandoles of the 18th century, require an additional hoop to ease their weight: almost all examples are set with a simple hinged hook fitting into the lobe from back to front.
Typical of English earrings of the time is the widespread use of elongated drops in agate or chalcedony (either left white or stained blue or green) and applied with small semiprecious stones such as garnets and turquoises set in gold floral motifs. These earrings usually came with a matching Maltese cross pendant. There are varying degrees of decoration: some are plain drops carved in hardstone, while others show a greater complexity, with applied decoration of naturalistic inspiration. Similarly designed sets set with diamonds are now less common but we know that they existed.
Also popular in England, where diamonds were more plentiful than in France as a consequence of the more stable political and economic situation, were earrings in the form of diamond pear-shaped drops with a large pearl or diamond swing centre on a cluster of foliate surmount.
The simplest form of earring fashionable at the time had a large pear-shaped drop of semiprecious stone, usually a faceted amethyst or citrine, mounted in a gold collet suspended from a similarly-set single-stone circular or oval surmount.
1840s and 1850s
In the late 184os a new hairstyle with a parting at the centre and the hair brushed to each side of the face and gathered in a knot at the back, totally covering the ears, led to the virtual disappearance of earrings — another indication of the close relationship between hairstyles and earrings. One has only to look at portraits by Wintherhalter and other society painters to see how universal this fashion was. In the middle of the century Queen Victoria was consistently portrayed with her ears covered, and even in catastrophic situations such as those shown in John Martin’s The Great Day of His Wrath (1852) or The Last Judgement (1853), women in the last extremity of distress are depicted with their ears carefully covered by neatly arranged hair at the sides.
The temporary eclipse of earrings is confirmed by the fact that at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, although jewellery was well represented, earrings were not given prominence. Those that were produced at this time were attractive but generally small and compact in design, frequently featuring naturalistic motifs such as flowerhead clusters, bunches of grapes, acorns, and other foliate arrangements chased in gold, set with a gemstone depicting a bud or berry, or carved in coral and ivory. The trend towards naturalism was common to all the decorative arts and Jewellery. Other earrings assumed the shape of crescent hoops or elongated beads. Long gem-set earrings were never worn at important formal occasions because the ears remained completely concealed by the hair and covered by elaborate tiaras in the form
120, 121
A pencil and gouache design for a tiara, bracelet and corsage ornament by Mellerio, mid 19th century. Note the two lateral cascading spray of leaves and flowers which concealed the ears.
1840s and 1850s
In the late 184os a new hairstyle with a parting at the centre and the hair brushed to each side of the face and gathered in a knot at the back, totally covering the ears, led to the virtual disappearance of earrings — another indication of the close relationship between hairstyles and earrings. One has only to look at portraits by Wintherhalter and other society painters to see how universal this fashion was. In the middle of the century Queen Victoria was consistently portrayed with her ears covered, and even in catastrophic situations such as those shown in John Martin’s The Great Day of His Wrath (1852) or The Last Judgement (1853), women in the last extremity of distress are depicted with their ears carefully covered by neatly arranged hair at the sides.
The temporary eclipse of earrings is confirmed by the fact that at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, although jewellery was well represented, earrings were not given prominence. Those that were produced at this time were attractive but generally small and compact in design, frequently featuring naturalistic motifs such as flowerhead clusters, bunches of grapes, acorns, and other foliate arrangements chased in gold, set with a gemstone depicting a bud or berry, or carved in coral and ivory. The trend towards naturalism was common to all the decorative arts and Jewellery. Other earrings assumed the shape of crescent hoops or elongated beads. Long gem-set earrings were never worn at important formal occasions because the ears remained completely concealed by the hair and covered by elaborate tiaras in the form Ink design for a dormeuse earring, Kreuter, Germany, April 1877, front and side view.
of garlands of flowers which framed the face and cascaded in two sprays decorated en pampille down the sides of the head. During the day, bonnets with large brims tied under the chin with wide ribbons made earrings superfluous and difficult to wear; for the same reason brooches ceased to be worn high on the collar where they interfered with the hat ribbon tied under the chin. Simple single-stone earrings — know as dormeuses or ’sleepers’ because they were worn at night to prevent the pierced hole in the lobe from closing — were the only form of earring that continued to be used.

ART NOUVEAU CHAIRS: UPHOLSTERED ARMCHAIR, LAYERED WOOD CHAIR, SLAT-BACK ARMCHAIR, BENTWOOD SIDE CHAIR, UPHOLSTERED ARMCHAIR, CANED-SEAT ARMCHAIR, CURVED DESK CHAIR

ART NOUVEAU CHAIRS

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WHEN  IT CAME TO the chair, Art
Nouveau designers let their imaginations run wild. Designers from Glasgow to Nancy used the chair to illustrate and promote the Art Nouveau ideal.
Breaking free from traditional methods of design and construction, designers experimented with flowing, abstract shapes influenced by nature, and bending or elongating wood into sculptural pieces.
The Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh left an indelible mark on Art Nouveau furniture, especially with his ground-breaking chair designs. Well proportioned with attenuated backs imparting an almost ecclesiastical appearance, his cube-based chairs decorated with geometric cut-out patterns were influential, especially on designers
working in Germany    Austria, who embraced this more linear approach.
The French strand of Art Nouveau produced a contrasting style. with its sinuous, organic. fluid chair designs which were made by Louis Majorelle and Hector Guimard in exotic woods. These were often lavishly decorated with intricate inlays, marquetry. and carved botanical motifs on top rails, legs, and aprons.
A taste for the exotic also provided another decorative and extremely influential outlet in chairs – from Japanese and Moorish-inspired designs to bizarre seat furniture created by Carlo Bugatti and Antoni Gaudi using a variety of materials. Bugatti and Gaudi used imaginative combinations of wood and metals, embellished with materials such as leather, vellum, and silk.

The curves on this piece were achieved using the bentwood technique.
Aluminium nails decorate the replaced leather seat and back.
The beech frame is stained the colour of mahogany.
UPHOLSTERED ARMCHAIR
This chair is constructed from bent beechwood stained the colour of mahogany. The curved shape was achieved by steaming the wood, then applying even pressure. The prolific architect and founder of the Vienna Secession, J.M. Olbrich, designed this armchair for Thonet of Vienna. c1902.

ARMCHAIR
This mahogany armchair has an upholstered crest, a slat back and carved arms. The seat and back panel are upholstered in velvet. The slat back forms a back leg and the piece
terminates in bun feet. c. 1900.
LAYERED WOOD CHAIR
This is one of a set of four chairs made in the style of the early Vienna Secession. The chair is made of cut beechwood and layered wood which is stained in two shades. The seat is covered in black leather, but is not original. c.1900.
This stained beech and elm chair was probably made by Wylie & Lochhead of Glasgow. The curved top rail sits above three splats. The seat is inlaid with boxwood lining. The legs are joined by double stretchers that terminate in upholstered, panelled feet. L&T I
This Viennese slat-back armchair is constructed from veneered and polished nut wood massif. The design is accredited to Josef Hoffmann. A low, D-shaped stretcher unites the straight legs near to the base of the chair. c.1905.
ARMCHAIR
SLAT-BACK ARMCHAIR
BENTWOOD CHAIR
This beech chair, made and signed by Austrian manufacturer Thonet, has a flowing bentwood frame made of bent rods, which curves without the use of carving and joints. It has a shaped seat rail and a reversed, heart-shaped back that sweeps below the seat to form stretchers. The triangular seat is made of cane, although it is not original. The chair terminates in three legs. c.1900.

This is one of a pair of side chairs made of oak. The back of the chair has curvilinear rails linking tapering uprights above a drop-in seat.
Square-section, tapering legs terminate in pad feet.
This early J. & J. Kohn side chair was designed by Josef Hoffmann. It has a bentwood back and tapering legs, and there are four wooden spheres under the seat rail. The brown leather
upholstery is tacked on to the seat and back, obscuring the stamped mark.
SIDE CHAIR
BENTWOOD SIDE CHAIR
ARMCHAIR
This is one of a pair of mahogany armchairs designed by J.S. Henry. The tall, upholstered back has sinuous leaf finials, curving open arms, and an upholstered pad seat. The seat is supported on turned and tapering legs linked by an arched stretcher at the front and straight side
stretchers.

MARQUETRY ARMCHAIR
Designed by Louis Majorette, the back splat of this mahogany armchair is decorated in marquetry depicting branch and leaf designs. The chair has moulded “U”-shaped crinoline arms that have distinctive duck’s-head terminals. The seat is upholstered in velvet.
UPHOLSTERED ARMCHAIR
This mahogany armchair, designed by G.M. Ellwood, has a tapering back containing an oval upholstered panel and elegant vertical splats. The piece has open upholstered arms and an upholstered seat. The legs terminate in tassle carved feet.
ARMCHAIR
This stained mahogany armchair features distinctive, wavy, horizontal splats positioned above and below the rectangular panelled back. The downswept, open arms and
upholstered panel seat are raised on turned, tapered legs.
CANED-SEAT ARMCHAIR
This is one of a pair of “Model 511″ chairs by Thonet, constructed from bent beech. The splat is pierced with holes, with parallel slats below. The back continues in a curve down to the feet. The seat is made of woven caning. c.1904.
This mahogany desk chair by Louis Majorelle has open arms featuring galleries of tapered spindles. Red-leather upholstery on the back and scat is fixed to the frame with studs. The twisted form of the legs emphasizes the sinuous, feminine design.
This carved walnut armchair designed by Henri Rapin has a wing back and bold scrolling terminals. The tapering legs lead to splayed spade feet. The heavily patterned upholstery is not original. 1910.
This Louis Majorelle carved mahogany desk chair (part of a desk set) has moulded arms leading into sweeping, reverse-curved supports. The chair has a distinctive, low upholstered back. The front legs are cabriole in shape. c.1903.
This armchair was designed by Josef Maria Olbrich and made by Josef Niedermoser of Vienna. The frame is black-varnished maple, the chair is upholstered with yellow leather covers, and the feet are metal. 1898 99.
DESK CHAIR
OPEN ARMCHAIR
CURVED DESK CHAIR
ARMCHAIR

THE GLASGOW SCHOOL
AT THE HEART of the Art Nouveau
movement in Scotland, the Glasgow School of Art sowed the seeds of an artistic revolution.
The enterprising director, Francis Newberg, and his wife Jessie, were instrumental in taking the Glasgow School of Art beyond its traditional role as an institution for formal
instruction in painting. A great admirer and champion of the teachings of William Morris, Newberg urged his students to learn as much as they could from the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. He set up art studios where artist-craftsmen provided
broad range of commercial crafts, including bookbinding, woodcarving, ceramics, stained glass, and metalwork.
KEY DESIGNERS
An influential team of designers and architects closely associated with the Glasgow School included Charles Rennie Mackintosh, J. Herbert MacNair, and the sisters Margaret and Frances MacDonald. Known as “The Glasgow Four” or “Four Macs”, they created furniture and interior decoration inspired by Arts and Crafts ideology, but which developed as a movement in its own right and was
“Glasgow Style”. This style incorporated natural imagery together with a strong, psychological identification with the city – then booming economically and culturally – powered by its engineering and industrial skills.
It was a decidedly Scottish and occasionally modest interpretation of the Art Nouveau. Simple, geometric furniture designs were decorated with stylized patterns of flowers, plants, animals, figural patterns, and Celtic-style decoration. These
were shown in unusual colours drawn from local scenery, such as heathery purple, misty greys, and soft green. The Glasgow style won international acclaim, especially at the 8th Secessionist Exhibition in 1900 in Vienna, and exercised a
potent influence on the architects of industrial design in Germany and Austria. The rooms furnished by the group for the 1902 Turin International Exhibition of Modern Decorative Arts focused on controlled line, eschewing serpentine curves, and favouring symmetrical flowers,
elongated figures, and intricate linear designs in glass, metal, and enamel.
THE ROSE EMBLEM
Nature always inspired the Glasgow Four and was occasionally approached from a scientific perspective. Even the group’s emblem – the two-dimensional rose, which was designed by
Mackintosh and featured frequently on its architecture and furniture – was
inspired by a cabbage cut in half. Other talents associated with the Glasgow School were Ernest Archibald Taylor, lauded for his clean, elegant, and highly refined designs in the style of Charles Rennie Mackintosh; George Walton, with his delicate and subtle designs for furniture, textiles, and glass; and Talwin Morris, who worked in a variety of media, from furniture to textiles, metalwork, and glass.
The Glasgow School of Art This building was designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1896 and is regarded as one of his most notable architectural achievements.

A Glasgow School hammered brass mirror This piece has a repousse, stylized, floral motif design with long, flowing tendrils ending in a swirl, and a circular bud design with striking blue, enamel.

MAHOGANY CUPBOARD
This inlaid cupboard is made from mahogany and consists of elegant, vertical lines embellished with a projecting and moulded cornice. It is raised on a plinth. In contrast to the simple lines of the piece, the fielded, panelled door is inlaid with florid, geometric, stylized flowers, plant forms, foliage, and stems, and is flanked by similarly inlaid panels.
The moulded hinges and handles are elaborately decorated with foliate motifs. The plinth is pierced at the front and sides with a repeating heart-shaped pattern that echoes the inlaid design. The cupboard was possibly designed by J.S. Henry, a Glasgow wholesale company that often supplied furniture to Liberty and Co. and worked with leading
designers such as George Walton.
HALLSTAND
This hallstand is made of stained oak. It was designed by Wylie and Lochhead and shows the influence of Mackintosh. The moulded cornice above a central bevelled plate is flanked by repouss6 copper panels showing stylized briar roses. Decorative supports in the form of flower stems add to the overall design.

Statues
Figures, more than any other category of decorative accessory, seem to say “Deco” best. The statues exhibit not only features commonly associated with Art Deco, but also they express the spirit of freedom and optimism in the future that prevailed at the time. It is not surprising that these personifications beguile collectors. As noted earlier, figures were so popular that they were fashioned into dual purpose articles as well as art objects. This section, however, contains only the latter. Statues, statuettes or figurines and a few head forms or busts are included. (For additional examples of figures, see Ashtrays, Bookends, Candle Holders, Incense Burners and Lamps.)
Most of the Deco figural subjects were women. Pieces were made with couples forming dance partners or duets. Men were also modeled as sportsmen or represented as mythical gods or even circus clowns. Animals made along Deco lines are not so rare as male examples but they are less prevalent than female themes. All kinds of animals, however, were made as decorative sculpture. Members of the cat family (jaguar, panther, tiger) and deer, elk and gazelles as well as dogs (like the greyhound) projected the essential components of the Deco image—speed, grace and sleekness. Certain animals, especially dogs, were often part of female dominated scenes. Even birds such as cockatoos, ducks, parrots and penquins were shaped in stylized forms to fit in with “modern” decor.
The nude or semi-nude female apparently was the most favorite figural topic of the period. It is held in no less esteem by collectors. Poses varied from lanquid, reclining positions to ones expressing movement. Grace and speed were implied by various dance positions or hair shaped as wings or fashioned in a “wind blown” style. Kneeling or standing figures with arms stretched forward symbolized movement into the future. Arms stretched overhead, perhaps holding a globe or sphere, seem to indicate awareness and interest in the world at large.
While the nude and semi-nude figures may suggest the spirit of the period, fully clothed models portray the dress and hair styles in vogue. Interest in other cultures was also exhibited by the figure’s costume. The Egyptian influence was dominant in the mid 1920’s, after the opening of King Tut’s tomb in 1923. Several of the figures shown in this section and some in other categories (see Lamps and Incense Burners) flaunt the trappings of Egyptian attire such as metal breastplates, harem pants and elaborate headdresses. Female figures with black finishes show the influence of African art and black American entertainers. Jazz musicians and torch singers became very popular during the 1920’s, especially in
France.
Decorative figures not only were made in a number of sizes and poses, but also they were made from many different materials, including bronze, copper, metal alloys, plaster, pottery and porcelain. The French bronzes are the most coveted and most expensive. Bronze combined with ivory and precious jewels, silver or gold is called “chryselephantine” work. D.H. Chiparus, who worked in France, is noted to have excelled in this type of sculpture. Prices for his original pieces are in the tens of thousands of dollars today. Collectors should be aware, however, that current bronze manufacturers reproduce or imitate some of his figures as well as several other famous sculptors of the period. Although advertised as manufactured with the “lost wax” method and sporting the same or similarly spelled names of well known artists such as Chiparus, Zach or Preiss, these bronzes are still only replicas and not from the period. Unfortunately, they are sometimes sold by dealers as authentic sculptures. Wholesale prices are not cheap, but do not be surprised to find that sum multiplied several times over when such an item is sold in a retail outlet.
Because bronzes were expensive to manufacture, it did not take entrepreneuers long to recognize the value of mass producing similar statues from metal alloys. Pot metal, white metal or spelter are names frequently used to identify such alloys. Psuedo bronze figures were made in both Europe and America. Even if a piece can be identified as being of French origin, do not assume the metal is bronze. Many of the pot metal pieces were executed quite well. Different patinations and finishes were used to give either a “bronze” look or colored surface. Some were even made with ivory faces and hands, imitating chryselephatine types. Fabricated ivory, often called “ivorene,” was sometimes used, however.
Patination and cold painted are two terms used to describe bronze finishes. Patination refers to a colored finish which is fired onto the metal and thus becomes pern-ranent. Cold painted means the finish was not fired onto the metal. Lacquer was applied to preserve the color, but this type of finish is not totally permanent. Some of the metal alloy figures were simply painted without any sealing coat. Consequently, over time, the paint has chipped or become noticeably worn. Those with apparent surface damage can sometimes be purchased for bargain prices. Dealers have them repainted, but prices should-not be the same as for those in good or original condition. Inspect figures carefully for detail to note signs of age and wear on finished as well as whether there are chips on the face, hair or limbs.
Because of the demand for Deco figures, pot metal statues are far from cheap. Those in good condition, depending on size, will cost several hundred dollars. It is not uncommon for examples to cost $1,000 or more, especially if it can be determined the piece was made in France. It is rare to find any authentic Deco metal figure for less than $100.
Porcelain figurines were made by several European factories prior to World War II. Goldscheider, an Austrian company, is well known for its Deco pieces. Some of the firms who are more famous for their table wares also produced figural items during that time. The Lenox china company in Trenton, New Jersey, made porcelain figures which portrayed Deco themes. Porcelain pieces are generally much more moderately priced than metal statues, but they still are not cheap. Few cost less than $200.
Earthenware or simple pottery figures were also made in this country and abroad. Usually earthenware
items are less expensive than those made of hard paste porcelain or bone china. Not only was the manufacturing process cheaper, but also earthenware is not as strong. It chips and breaks easily and also can become discolored or crazed over time. Pottery figures, however, are often comparable or higher in price than porcelain ones. Those made by American art potteries are very collectible. Some made by American companies, which produced inexpensive pottery dishes and accessories, also made a few figures. Such items were not the company’s main product, and thus the figures are scarce, as well as popular, and bring high prices compared with other items they manufactured.
The statues and figurines are grouped here according to their composition: Ceramic (pottery and porcelain), Plaster and Metals (bronze, copper & metal alloys).

Side cabinets
Although side cabinets were first made in the 18th century, the golden age was the 19th, when they were produced in a variety of styles that reflected the contemporary fashion for eclecticism. The form may well have been influenced by the French chiffonier – a small shallow cabinet topped by an open shelf or shelves and sometimes a drawer – and the Italian credenza – an early form of sideboard – both of which gave their names to types of side cabinet or meubles d’appui as they were known in France.
TYPES OF SIDE CABINETS
Eighteenth-century side cabinets were generally very simple: just shelves and drawers, with few decorative features. A variation introduced in good-quality, late 18th-century side cabinets was the replacement of solid wooden doors with silk-lined ones, sometimes protected by a brass grill. Regency side cabinets retained the simple rectilinear form with enclosed shelves and drawers; decorative inlay (often metal), crossbanding and applied brass mouldings were added. Both features are often found on Regency chiffoniers, many of which also have lyre- or S-shaped supports with brass rails for the exposed shelf sections, which may also be surmounted by brass galleries. Another desirable, but rare, feature is an adjustable shelf.
Credenzas became increasingly popular in the later 19th century. They tended to be larger than chiffoniers and side cabinets, with storage or display shelves fitted at either end. The most desirable pieces have serpentine fronts and glazed side panels; pieces with straight fronts and convex glass sides are generally less desirable. Traditionally the end shelves were lined with velvet. British examples were influenced by Continental models, especially those made in France and Italy. The centre-door panels offered good surfaces for decoration and in the best examples will be decorated with good-quality, undamaged pietre dare, marquetry boullework, or panels of ivory or porcelain. Therefore some unexceptional pieces may have exceptional decoration, and vice versa.
IMPORTANT MAKERS
After the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London there was a succession of international exhibitions at which British, Continental, and American furniture-makers showed spectacular pieces in the popular revival styles of the time. In France cabinet-makers such as Alexandre-Georges Fourdinois (1799-1871) and his son Henri-Auguste Fourdinois (1830-1907), Guillaume Grohe ( 1808-85), and Jean-Michel Grohe (b.1804) produced magnificent side cabinets in the Renaissance Revival style, which was popular at the time, for the Paris Exhibition of 1867. . Their works were immediately copied by other makers, who made inexpensive versions. Other influential French makers included Louis-Auguste-Alfred Beurdeley (1808-82), principal cabinet-maker to Empress Eugenie, and Henri Orison (1825-96), who is notable for his superb ormolu mounts. Francois Linke ( 1855–1946) is arguably the greatest exponent of the Louis XVI Revival, and his cabinets remain the most sought after. Pieces by such makers are generally very expensive, but the qualities that made their work so outstanding can be found in more modest forms. They include a well-made carcase (usually associated with French and English makers; Italian carcases are generally less well made, and liable to “move” and split the thin veneers that were used); good-quality ormolu mounts, and inventive decoration that is generous and includes the plinth and sides of the cabinet. In general, British and French examples are the most collectable.
Among the well-known British manufacturers, Wright & Mansfield (est. 1860) in London, was among the prize-winning British companies; its success was largely due to the production of a satinwood side cabinet in the Neo-classical style inspired by the work of the architect Robert Adam (1728-92). Most sought after are those made by such reputable firms as T.H. Filmer of London, which, working in the Renaissance Revival style, combined ebonized wood and pietre dure on credenza-style side cabinets with marble tops. The style was also Popular in the USA in the 1870s, where it was combined with Louis XVI ormolou decoration by Alexander Roux, a French maker active in New York from c.1856. Italian makers were known for their fine ivory inlay, although the pieces were not generally as well constructed as NEW MATERIALS
In the 19th century British furniture-makers, in particular experimented with some extraordinary materials in an attempt to capture the imagination and the purse-strings of the public. One of the success stories was the papier furniture made by Jennens & Bettridge (active 1816-64) in Birmingham, who from the 1820s used japanned papier-mache in conjunction with metal or wood frames to produce a range of furniture, and in 1825 patented a technique for incorporating mother-of-pearl inlay in papier-mache. In the 1840s and 1850s there were some 30 companies in Derbyshire producing marble furniture, in particular inlaid table tops influenced by the Florentine pietre dure models lent by the Duke of Devonshire from his collection at Chatsworth House. As a less expensive alternative, G.E. Magnus patented a technique in 1840 for colouring slate to simulate marble, and at the Great Exhibition he displayed a range of pieces; however, slate cabinet work was very unusual.
French and British examples. A notable exception was the work of Giovanni Battista Gatti (active 1850-80), prizewinner at the exhibitions in Paris in 1855 and 1878, who produced extremely well-made cabinets set with ivory and pietre dure plaques in the Renaissance Revival style.
In France, Rococo Revival side cabinets often had panelled doors with vernis Martin (a type of japanning) painted with fetes cbampetres (outdoor scenes) scenes after paintings by the 18th-century French artist Antoine Watteau, who specialized in this type of outdoor scene. Others were set with Sevres porcelain plaques, similarly painted or with flowers and birds. The more formal decorative vocabulary of the Louis XVI Revival included brass inlay and gilt-bronze mounts in Neo-classical motifs. Continental pieces were retailed by such British outlets as W Williamson & Sons (active c.1880-1920) in Guildford, and Maples of London, which imported French furniture during the 1880s.
• TYPES side cabinets were produced in three main styles: the side cabinet with enclosed shelves; chiffoniers (with exposed shelves on top of a cabinet); credenzas (with end shelves).
• DAMAGE the condition of the carcase and decoration is important; pietre dure and Boullework is very
difficult and expensive to restore.
• COLLECTING French and British makers were leaders in the field, with British makers influenced by French and Italian styles; Regency side cabinets and chiffoniers are generally more refined than many Victorian examples that were mass-produced; took for good-quality pieces with brass galleries, pleated-silk door panels, lyre-shaped shelf supports; original decoration, feet, and glass will usually add to value; some pieces of lesser quality may have superior decoration in the form of metal, ivory, or porcelain plaques that were taken from furniture made during an earlier period.