The Age of Walnut Exhibition Spotlight: A Pair of George II Green Japanned Bureau Bookcases

A Pair of George II Green Japanned Bureau Bookcases attributed to Giles Grendey Mackinnon Fine Furniture Collection Our Age of Walnut exhibition continues in the gallery this week, and today we are highlighting a magnificent piece from the exhibition. We are always on the search for the rare, the unique, and the magnificent.  We are delighted …

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Flashback Friday: Last Summer’s Exhibition, ‘Gilded’

As we prepare for the opening of our summer exhibition, Great Provenances: Exceptional Antiques from Notable Collections, we thought it was fitting to have a brief travel back to last summer when we hosted our exhibition, Gilded: Golden Treasure of Georgian Furniture.     For the exhibition last summer, we ran a series entitled 'Anatomy of an Exhibition.'  …

The Art of Furniture Encyclopedia: Burr

We recently started a series entitled The Art of Furniture, an online encyclopedia of furniture and decorative arts.  In our inaugural post, we looked at Queen Anne and the furniture associated with her reign.  Today, we are focusing on a particular material: burr. Top of a Queen Anne Burr Yew Chest of Drawers Mackinnon Fine …

Boy oh Boy: Lowboys and Tallboys (and Highboys)

Different types of furniture often have interesting names: Pembroke tables, wake tables, hope chests, Windsor chairs, grandfather clocks... the list goes on.  Today we are looking at two distinctly English forms of furniture: the lowboy and the tallboy. A tallboy is a double chest of drawers, or a wardrobe on a chest of drawers.  (In …

The Art of the Fold: A History of Decorative Screens in the Interior

Several months ago we looked at Chinese lacquer screens and their history.  Today we will focus on the broader history of screens and how they became a popular and fashionable item in Georgian England and Continental Europe.  The painting entitled The New Song by Jan Josef Horemans depicts an interior scene with a group of men …

A History of Japanning in England: Technique & Decoration

We are finishing our series on the history of japanning in England today with a focus on the technique and decoration of japanned furniture.  If you want to catch up on the history of the lacquer trade and the origin of japanning, please look at our previous posts here and here. Technique Ultimately, the Europeans …

A Marquetry Masterpiece: A George III Serpentine Commode attributed to Ince & Mayhew

We are delighted to share a masterpiece of English antique furniture today.  This exceptional George III ormolu mounted serpentine marquetry commode is attributed to Ince & Mayhew, one of the leading cabinetmaking firms of the Georigan era. The serpentine top is centred with a rococo cartouche featuring exquisite floral marquetry on a yewwood reserve, above …

Make a Good First Impression: Georgian Hall Chairs

The antique hall chair is the epitome of the first impression.  These chairs were often one of the first pieces one would see when entering the house.  These chairs were placed in the main hall or entryway and served as a seat for guests who were waiting to enter the rest of the house. Hall chairs …

Splendid Satinwood: A Closer Look at an Imported Timber in Georgian England

When it comes to early Georgian furniture, oak, walnut, and mahogany are the timbers that come to mind.  Toward the end of the 18th century, there was a distinct shift toward lighter timbers imported from the West Indies initially and later from the East Indies.  Satinwood was one of the most popular of these imported …

The Rarest of Them All: A Pair of George II Green Japanned Bureau Bookcases

We are always on the search for the rare, the unique, and the magnificent.  We are delighted to offer this highly important and extremely rare pair of George II green japanned bureau bookcases attributed to Giles Grendey. Each piece features a broken swan neck pediment cresting surmounted by a turned golden finial, the upper section …