The Age of Walnut: A History (cont.)

A George II walnut armchair attributed to Giles Grendey Mackinnon Fine Furniture Collection As our Age of Walnut exhibition continues this week, we are exploring more of the history of the use of walnut as a timber for furniture in England. From the end of the 17th century through the middle of the 18th century, …

The Age of Walnut: A History (cont.)

A George I Burr Walnut Bureau from the collection of Duke of Chandos for Shaw House, Berkshire Mackinnon Fine Furniture Collection Earlier in the week we shared a bit of history about the walnut tree for our Age of Walnut exhibition. We continue this history today looking at the emergence of walnut furniture in England …

Tiny Treasure: A George I Green Japanned Dressing Mirror

We are delighted to share a wonderful piece from our collection: this very rare George I green japanned dressing mirror is extremely finely decorated throughout with wonderful gilt chinoiseries on a dark green ground. Despite its diminutive size, the mirror features grand proportions, with the adjustable arched bevelled mirror plate supported by turned finial mounted …

A Triumph of English Design: The Bachelors Chest

English antique furniture has long been admired by collectors for its exceptional craftsmanship and design.  In addition to this general admiration, there are specific pieces of English furniture that have become iconic, and one of them is the bachelors chest.  Bachelors chests first appeared in the latter half of the 17th century.  These chests are …

The ABCs of Decorative Arts: Needlework

We are officially half of the way through our alphabetic tour of the decorative arts.  What better way to kick off the back half of the alphabet than with a great topic: needlework. The term needlework applies to handicraft that incorporates decorative sewing and textile arts.  Medieval needlework in the form of embroidery was often …