Exhibition Spotlight: Two George I Gilt Gesso Card Tables

To celebrate the opening of our exhibition today, we are delighted to share details of two outstanding George I gilt gesso card tables.  Very few of these, possibly only four, are known to exist today. These tables all share similarities in design and form.  Their vocabulary of strap-work, scrolling foliage, and shellwork was first promoted …

Anatomy of an Exhibition: Preparing a Catalogue

With our exhibition only days away, we are continuing our series about the Anatomy of an Exhibition by discussing one of the most important parts of the exhibition: the catalogue.  Exhibition catalogues provide an invaluable resource during the exhibition and once it has finished, as a record of the pieces brought together for the show. …

Designer Spotlight: Jenny Wolf of Jenny Wolf Interiors

Our next designer for our Designer Spotlight feature is no stranger to antique furniture.  Jenny Wolf grew up in South Carolina in a family of furniture dealers, and her appreciation for antiques shows through in all of her projects for Jenny Wolf Interiors.  Jenny is a rising star in the interior design world and has …

Coming Full Circle: Centre Tables

Whether you call it a centre table or a center table (hello Americans!), there is no doubt that these pieces are incredibly useful and attractive in the modern interior. We have a magnificent William IV mahogany centre table possibly by Gillows of Lancaster & London featuring the neo-classical taste of Thomas Hope.  The circular top …

Thomas Rowlandson: An Eighteenth Century Viewpoint

Thomas Rowlandson was an English artist and caricaturist working throughout the second half of the eighteenth century.  He was a prolific artist--as it was once said, he 'etched as much copper as would sheathe the British navy.'  Rowlandson trained in London and in Paris, and after entering the Royal Academy and exhibiting for several years …

London Summer Capital of Art: Mackinnon Fine Furniture Summer Exhibition

We were delighted to be featured in this year's London Summer Capital of Art, a publication produced by the Antiques Trade Gazette.  Our upcoming show is highlighted as one of the 'Dealer Shows' in London happening this summer alongside the traditional fairs, including Masterpiece and Olympia. We look forward to welcoming visitors to our exhibition, Gilded: Golden …

The ABCs of Decorative Arts: Dovetailing

Back to the ABCs with our journey through the decorative arts, with today's topic focusing on dovetailing.  This technique is startlingly simple yet so fundamental to cabinetmaking that it can be found on almost every piece of case furniture in our gallery.     Dovetailing is a technique in joinery that secures two pieces of …