Posts Tagged ‘period c’

Settles and sofas after 1840
The revival of interest in historical styles from the mid-19th century resulted in a multiplicity of designs for all types of furniture, including sofas, which were often made as part of the new salon or parlour suites. A major technical development during this period was use of the coil spring, patented in 1828, which resulted in sturdier, bulkier, and squatter designs that sacrificed form to comfort. These deeply upholstered seats, with their button backs, culminated in the Chesterfield, which was the first fully upholstered sofa.

Seat furniture
The period c. 1860 to (.1880 was in many ways the golden age of upholstery. Stuffing had been growing steadily thicker from the 1840s, and buttons were introduced to prevent the thread holding the stuffing
in place from pulling the covering material. Extra fabric was necessary to create the familiar diamond pattern of buttons or threads characteristic of the deep, luxurious upholstery, with its air of prosperity and comfort, so admired by the Victorian middle classes. The development of the coil spring made increased demands on buttoning. Whereas sofas had previously been stuffed with layers of wadding and horsehair, coiled metal springs were now used. The springs were supported by a layer of hessian webbing, covered with more webbing, which in turn was covered with horsehair stuffing and padding. As a result, Victorian sofas were much more comfortable than early 19th-century examples, but they were also much bulkier; many sofas had button backs to emphasize the new upholstered look. The luxurious effect was emphasized by the use of velvet and other elaborate fabrics. Sofas with their original worn upholstery arc more collectable today than those with high-quality restoration using an inappropriate fabric.
French sofas were generally lighter in design than British examples, since French craftsmen and manufacturers employed such revival styles as Rococo and Louis XVI, making use of giltwood and lighter upholstery fabrics. In the USA, parlour suites on a grand scale were produced by such leading makers as John Henry Belter (1804-63) of New York, who in the 1850s created laminated and moulded rosewood sofas with deep pierced carving. Renaissance Revival suites, with square-backed sofas, were also popular, while the fashion in Europe and the USA for “Turkish” corners gave rise to over-stuffed upholstered sofas with elaborate fringing.
Edwardian sofas of the first two decades of the 20th century borrowed heavily from Neo-classical styles –especially the designs of Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) – and from Regency styles, but managed to avoid the excesses of Victorian interpretations. Suites of chairs with matching sofas were produced; these were generally made from mahogany, or occasionally from walnut or satinwood. Sofas and chairs often had caned backs and sides, with silk or damask upholstery.

•    CHALSES-LONGUES these are not particularly commercial as they can be large and not very comfortable to sit on; examples with good shapes are more popular, as are those that are more heavily carved
•    GILDING good-quality regilding is quite acceptable if well executed– the highlights should be burnished, and the quality of the carving evident; beware of spray gilding – this will have a flat, matt appearance, with a very even coverage
•    RE-UPHOLSTERY the condition of the upholstery should be carefully examined, as seating can be very expensive to re-upholster; furniture with taut webbing is
preferable to that with springing, which tends to give an overstuffed look
•    COLLECTING many sofas and settees were originally part of parlour or salon suites, which are now rarely found complete; three-seater examples are generally more commercial than two-seater

Dress Accessories
Style and fashion were an important part of the Deco era. Styles changed drastically for women, reflecting a more practical and carefree or casual attitude toward life. The clothing from the Deco years chronicles that transition. The long, corseted gowns of the late Victorian period changed to the knee length skirt and flat chested “boyish” look of the 1920’s. Padded shoulders, tight skirts and baggy trousers followed in the late 1930’s and 1940’s. Although there were changes in men’s clothing, styles remained conservative compared to the trends which came about with women’s apparel.
Although time has been unkind to old garments, vintage Deco clothing is collectible, and there are dealers who specialize in fine examples salvaged from the period. Markets for this type of clothing are usually commercial or public, sold for store displays, museum exhibits or theatrical production rather than for individual use. But dresses, suits and coats made from the 1920’s through the 1940’s currently attract some of the teen and college age generations who enjoy actually wearing the outfits. Estate sales and thrift shops may yield some amusing examples at nominal prices.
While it may be difficult to find a piece of Deco clothing which one would care to wear, a number of items used to accessorize such clothing can be worn with enjoyment. Purses, compacts, belt buckles, dress clips and all types of jewelry are quite compatible with today’s fashion. Dress accessories offer the collector an intriguing and almost unending source of Deco designs. It is apparent from the items shown, as is true for most surveys of the era, that dress accessories were primarily confined to women’s articles. But cuff links, stickpins and watches, for example, were made in Deco styles for men.
Compacts are a product of the Deco age. These neat items made for checking or repairing one’s make up, slipped easily into a purse or evening bag. While most contained a bit of mirror and a cake of powder, some were made with lipstick cases, change holders and money clips as well. The most expensive are made of gold and silver, but lower priced varieties made of plated or enamelled metals and celluloid or plastic are also available. Although small in size, compacts exhibit striking Deco traits. Notice the Egyptian influence on two examples, one with hierglyphics and one with Egyptian figures.
Mesh evening bags made from enamelled metals by American manufacturers such as Whiting and Davis were in demand during the 1920’s. Small beaded and fringed bags were also popular accessories for the jazz age costume. Evening bags have become a special topic of collector interest and there are few bargains to be found. It is difficult to find one for less than $50. Large beaded
purses, like the one illustrated, made during the latter part of the era do not cost nearly as much.
Collections of compacts and evening bags can be framed or housed in glass cases to add attractive touches to a room. The same can also be done for much less money with buttons or belt and shoe buckles. These little adornments are sometimes overlooked, but they often created the Deco accent for a garment. Such pieces usually outlived the clothing and many have been saved. Rummage through a box of old buttons and buckles, a Deco souvenir may be found—even a pair of fancy garters!
Jewelry is undoubtedly the most fascinating of all dress accessories. Although gold, silver and precious stones were fashioned into Deco designs, costume jewelry was born and thrived during those years. Many pieces were made from glass, enamelled metals, bakelite, celluloid and plastic. Rhinestones, like other good pieces of Deco costume jewelry, are attracting wide interest today. It is obvious that Deco designs have had a great influence on contemporary costume pieces. Reproductions also are surfacing on antique and collectible markets. Buyers should inspectjewelry carefully to determine if an item is new. Prices for authentic “period” period” pieces are often comparable with those of good quality modern costume jewelry.

Chelsea
The first successful British porcelain factory was founded c.1744 at Chelsea, then a village on the outskirts of London, by the Huguenot silversmith Nicholas Sprimont (c.1716-71). Unsurprisingly, the Shapes of British silverwares were to have a considerable influence on the porcelain made at Chelsea. Production at the factory falls into five periods, four of which are named after marks used at the time.
THE TRIANGLE PERIOD
During the “Triangle” period (c.1744-9), Chelsea porcelain was of a beautiful white glassy body, and the shapes were mostly copied directly from British Rococo silver. Early Chelsea porcelain was difficult to control during firing; wares were small-scale and included cream-jugs, beakers, and teapots. The factory was proud of the pure white appearance of its porcelain, and painted decoration was therefore kept to a minimum.
THE RAISED ANCHOR AND THE RED ANCHOR PERIODS
Changes were made to the body and glaze in the second phase (c.1749-52), known as the “Raised Anchor”
iraised from the mark of a tiny anchor embossed on a sed pad. The body was now more robust, and tin Oxide was added to the glaze to opacity it, which alsogave
it a silky feel. Popular decoration included copies Of 17th-century Japanese Kakiemon porcelain, and landscapes painted in the style of imported European wares from the factories of Meissen in Germany and Vincennes in France. Scenes from Aesop’s Fables, painted in rich colours, became a Chelsea speciality. A few figures and models of birds were also produced at this time, but these are rare.
During the “Red Anchor” period (1752-6) original forms of decoration were introduced, as well as others copied from Meissen. This period is famous for its dessert table settings, especially covered tureens in the forms of fruit, vegetables, animals, birds, and fish. painted botanical decoration, a Chelsea invention, was used on “Hans Sloane” wares, named after Sir Hans Sloane, an eminent scientist and patron of the Physic Garden, a botanical garden in Chelsea. Chelsea also made small “toys” – tiny scent bottles and seals in the form of fruit, animals, and people.
Figures became an important part of the factory’s production, owing to the skills of the Flemish modeller Josef Willems (c.1715–66). When held up to a strong light, Red Anchor porcelain should exhibit the famous Chelsea “moons” – bubbles trapped in the paste, which appear as lighter spots in the body.
GOLD ANCHOR PERIOD
The coloured grounds and Rococo shapes of the French factories of Vincennes and Sevres were the dominant influences in the subsequent “Gold Anchor” period (c.1756-69), when the factory’s anchor mark was neatly applied in gold rather than red. The use of gilding was significantly increased. Figures, designed for display on mantelpieces or in cabinets and intended to be viewed only from the front, became more elaborate, with masses of bocage (small modelled trees and flowers). Although at the end of the 19th century Gold Anchor wares were extremely valuable, their popularity has decreased throughout the 20th century.
Economic problems coupled with the ill health of the founder led to the closure of the Chelsea factory in 1769. John Heath and William Duesbury, the owners of the Derby porcelain factory (est. c.1748), bought the works in 1770 and ran the two premises in London and
Derby in tandem. This period of production
is known as the “Chelsea-Derby”
period. The factory finally
closed in 1784.
Triangle period (c.1744-9)
• BODY white, glassy, and translucent
• FORMS based on British silverware shapes
• DECORATION often left uncoloured
• COLLECTING wares arc rare and valuable
Raised Anchor period (c.1749-52)
• BODY milky white and silky; contains impurity specks
• GLAZE tin oxide added to glaze to opacify it; silky feel
• FOOT-RIMS ground flat
• DECORATION based on Japanese porcelain, Vincennes, and Meissen
Red Anchor period (c.1752-6)
• BODY creamy white with dribbling glaze; “moons” appear in paste-firing support marks (”spur marks”)
• DECORATION Meissen-style flowers
Gold Anchor period (c.1756-69)
• BODY creamy, prone to staining; bone-ash was added
• GLAZE clear, thickly applied; pools and tends to craze
• STYLE Rococo; influenced by Sevres
• FAKES beware of 19th-century fakes, usually made in French hard-paste porcelain, the body of which is too white and glassy; they are often marked with gold anchors far bigger than those on genuine pieces
Marks
c.1744–c.1749: usually incised or painted in underglaze blue
c.1749-52: anchor embossed on a raised pad 1752-6: the mark of a very small anchor in red enamel appears on the backs of figures and on the bases of plates and cups
c.1756-69: anchor painted in gold
c.1769-84: Chelsea–Derby mark

Early Chinese Ceramics
By the Shang period (c.1600-c.1050) when stonewares were first produced in China, there was an advanced ceramic technology, with the separate high-fired and low-fired traditions of Chinese ceramics already apparent. The high-fired Yue stonewares produced from the 3rd century AD were the precursors of the great celadons of the Song period and represent a high level of technical and artistic achievement.
EARLY WARES
The earliest known Chinese ceramics are low-fired eathenwares dating from the Neolithic period. Distinct traditions emerged in the Central (c.5000-c.2500 BC) and Western (c.3300-c.1800 BC) Yangshao cultures and the Dawenkou culture (c.5800-c.1500 BC) in the north-east. The distinctive bulbous red Yangshao earthen wares were coil constructed and were sometimes decorated with impressed cord-like patterns or painted with bold black or purple geometric designs, often of spirals and loops enclosing checkered patterns. Dawenkou wares are thin, wheel-thrown pots made of red, grey, or black earthenware, which was burnished.
During the Shang period thick, white, unglazed pots were made of kaolin (china clay), while other fine clays were used to make stonewares, which were then glazed. A, ceramics technology developed, wares became
increasingly sophisticated; the potter’s wheel became more common, and new types of body - such as high-fired stoneware-were introduced. Forms at this time tended to be based On such bronze ritual forms as the ding and the hit. In the Han period a huge variety of wares was made, including models of houses, farms, ponds, and human figures in lead-glazed earthenware, which were all produced as funerary goods to accompany the deceased into the afterlife.
sophisticated desk ornaments, such as water droppers and brush rests in the shapes of frogs, lions, and other animals, as well as burial urns with applied models of buildings, animals, people, or Buddhist deities. Yue
wares also include more functional items, including straight-sided basins. From the second half of the 4th century ewers with characteristic “chicken-head” spouts were produced, and within about 100 years more elegant versions with taller proportions were being made. In general, later Yue wares are more graceful than earlier ones, the glaze becoming progressive less olivey and more jade-like and translucent owing to the use of finer raw materials.
TANG WARES
Some fine white-bodied wares, which led to the production Of true porcelain, were made during the Tang period, and included both glazed and unglazed wares. The glaze on Tang wares is particularly distinctive as it has a bright, glassy appearance. In the low-fired range the most characteristic wares of the period are the sancai (”three colour”) wares, namely earthenware vessels and models made as tomb goods, decorated
with runny lead-fluxed glazes coloured green, chestnut,
amber, cream, and, later, blue. Vessels are typically squat
and rounded, and include jars, vases, and bowls. Decoration was Moulded or painted with spotted designs based on contemporary textile patterns. Figures include tomb guardians (whose faces were often left unglazed and painted with coloured pigments after firing), camels, and horses. Because these wares have been buried for such long periods they are usually relatively undamaged; nevertheless, they can be very reasonably priced.
Principal Chinese dynasties
Shang (c.1600-c.1050 BC) Song (960-1279)
Zhou (c.1050-256 BC) Yuan (1279-1368)
Han (206 BC-AD 220) Ming (1368-1644)
Tang (618-907) Qing 1644-1911
Neolithic wares
• BODY red, grey, or black earthenwareFORMS
• funeral jars, cooking utensils, and ewers
• DECORATION cord-like patterns; bold painted designs
YUE WARES
Grey-bodied stonewares covered with a green-grey glaze were made in the Yue district in northern Zhejiang Province from the 3rd or 4th century AD until the 10th or 11th century, when they Isere superseded by the famous Longquan celadons. Yuc wares are exceptionally fine and were presented as tribute at the Tang court as well as being exported to South-East Asia and the Near East. Early Yue wares include
Yue wares
• BODY stoneware
• FORMS desk ornaments (water droppers, brush rests, etc); “chicken-head” ewers; bowls and jars
• GLAZE green-grey with an olive tinge in early wares
• DI CORATION incised decoration and applied figures
and modelling on desk ornaments and burial urns
Tang sancai wares
• BODY earthenware
• GLAZE lead-fluxed green, amber, brown, cream, blue
• DECORATION Pots re-create woven textile patterns; horses have superbly modelled tack