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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The Age of Walnut Exhibition Spotlight: A Scarlet Japanned Bachelors Chest

A Queen Anne Scarlet Japanned Bachelors Chest Mackinnon Fine Furniture We are delighted to open our summer exhibition, The Age of Walnut, by highlighting a masterpiece in the exhibition that features on the cover of our catalogue - a rare and highly important Queen Anne scarlet japanned bachelors chest. A Queen Anne Scarlet Japanned Bachelors …

Mackinnon in the Press: Antique Collecting Highlights Age of Walnut Exhibition

We are delighted to share an article from the latest issue of Antique Collecting magazine that highlights our forthcoming Age of Walnut exhibition. The article offers an in depth look at the history of walnut furniture in England in the late 17th and early 18th centuries when it was at its most popular. The article highlights several pieces that …

Dressing Decadently: A Queen Anne Black & Gilt Japanned Dressing Mirror

We are delighted to present this exceptional Queen Anne black and gilt japanned dressing mirror.  The shaped mirror frame features turned supports on uprights, the fall front below has a stepped interior of pigeon holes and drawers, and the base drawers contains a nest of compartments and comb slots. The whole is decorated with the …

The Precious Pear: A History of Pearwood Furniture

When it comes to antique furniture, the timbers that immediately come to mind may be walnut, mahogany, satinwood, or rosewood.  But there are other timbers that were highly popular in the past that do not get as much attention.  Today, we will look at one of these timbers: pearwood. Pear trees (Pyrus communis) can be …

A Piece of the Past: William & Mary Lace Chest

Today we are sharing a piece that has recently arrived in the gallery.  This magnificent William & Mary walnut chest on stand features a lid inlaid with an oval pattern top with chevron stringing with quartering. The lid opens to reveal a lined compartment, and below is a single long drawer.  The chest stands on …

Superbly Serpentine: A Sofa Designed in the Manner of Thomas Chippendale

We are no stranger to the designs and furniture of Thomas Chippendale (see here, here, and here for proof... or here, here, and here!).  This very fine 19th century mahogany double serpentine sofa is designed in the manner of Thomas Chippendale. The sofa features upholstered back, seat, and sides.  The mahogany show-frame is finely carved …

Irresistibly Irish : A George II Mahogany Armchair

We have looked at Irish furniture in the past on this blog, focusing on the qualities and idiosyncrasies that characterise Irish furniture.  Today we are focusing on one of our latest acquisitions: A George II Irish mahogany armchair. This chair features several hallmarks of Irish design, including the intricate interlaced and pierced back splat, carved …

Frozen in Time: Fossilized Marble

We looked at the use of marble in art, furniture, and design in a previous post, but today we want to focus on a specific type of marble: fossilised marble.  The concept of using marble as tabletops in England came from the Italian precedent and became popular in the 18th century.  Although many slabs of …

Designer Spotlight: Bennett Leifer Interiors

We are delighted to share Bennett Leifer as our next Designer Spotlight.  He is a perfect fit for our series as he has a background in Art History and understands how art and design of different cultures and periods can work together harmoniously.  It is no surprise that Bennett has been named House Beautiful Magazine's …