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 …

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A Moment in Local Literary History: St. James’s Revisited

A while ago we wrote about the history of St. James's and Ryder Street, where our gallery is located.  You can read about the history here. Today we thought we would revisit the subject and focus on a particular historical figure who has a connection to Ryder Street: Jonathan Swift.  Swift was an Anglo-Irish author …

An Exciting Discovery: From England to America and Back Again

While doing research for our current exhibition, Looking East: Japanned Furniture of Georgian England, we were delighted to make a discovery that links a piece from our collection with the fantastic red japanned bureau bookcase at the Metropolitan Museum  of Art in New York.  To start with the bureau: This exceptional red japanned piece of furniture …

The Unsung Hero of Georgian Furniture: William Gomm

There are several 'superstars' of Georgian furniture, including artisans like Thomas Chippendale, Thomas Sheraton, and Giles Grendey.  But there are other lesser known makers that have only recently been brought to light.  William Gomm is one such character. Gomm was a highly skilled cabinet-maker who established his workshop at Peterborough Court around 1725.  In the 1730s, Gomm …

I Spy: Antique Silver in Paintings

Dealing in antiques is a joy (for many reasons!), but one of the main benefits of the job is getting to handle objects that have such a rich and interesting history.  Antiques achieve the perfect balance of form and function with their aesthetic value equalling their useful qualities. One example is a pieces from our …

Framing the Portrait: Francis Wyatt of Quex by John Closterman

What would furniture be without pictures?  In addition to our collection of fine antique furniture, we also look for paintings that complement the style and aesthetic of eighteenth century antiques.  Portraiture has always been a fundamental aspect of English interiors, and we are delighted to present this portrait of Francis Wyatt painted by John Closterman in …

A House of Cards: Exploring English Card Tables in the Eighteenth Century

Playing cards is a popular pastime today, but the history of card games dates back many centuries.  By the early eighteenth century, the tables specifically designed for playing cards appeared in England.  The basic form of these tables was a rectangular top that folded in half.  When opened, the top would be supported by legs that …

Bringing Brighton Pavilion to You

Brighton Pavilion, the Regency pleasure palace of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV, is synonymous with the exotic, the surreal, and the decadent. The genesis of the Pavilion begins with the Prince of Wales, who visited Brighton for the first time in 1783.  At the ripe age of 21, the Prince of Wales …

The Director Himself: Thomas Chippendale & His Designs for Mirrors

It is impossible to talk about antiques without talking about Thomas Chippendale.  This preeminent cabinetmaker of the eighteenth century has become synonymous for all things Georgian.  There are plenty of biographies of Thomas Chippendale that you can read here and here (PS: The Chippendale Society is a great resource for all furniture enthusiasts.  We are proud to …

Blue John or Black Jack?

Let's start at the beginning: where does the name 'Blue John' come from?  The traditional story is that the French named it bleu-jaune, meaning 'blue-yellow' when it was exported to France during the second half of the eighteenth century.  Another theory is that the English miners who were extracting the mineral first thought they uncovered 'Black Jack,' a …