The A. Tyner Antiques Blog: chairs

Showing posts with label chairs. Show all posts

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

A Short History of Chairs Part II - Kings and Queens usher in a Renaissance

After the fall of the Roman Empire chairs became almost nonexistent from the everyday lives of most westerners… but they were not quite extinct however as chairs never disappeared from the church. While parishioners were relegated to pews or benches, priests and bishops typically had chairs on the altar. As the church grew richer, the ornateness of those “chairs” increased and by the middle of the 2nd millennia they could have easily been confused with thrones. But of course thrones need kings or queens or the close proximity thereof…

The 15th century brought about a settling of Europe into population centers and kingdoms and a rise of nobility. The simultaneous rise of wealth helped bring about a revival of home furnishings in general and chairs in particular. Chairs made a strong comeback as increasingly larger homes required more chairs with distinct functions. Ornamentation, sophistication, and quality of construction also increased.

As the kings and queens of Europe enjoyed increasing wealth, they began to look longingly upon the beauty of the altar chairs the church had maintained and began to demand increasingly ornate thrones. Indeed, thrones, as so much with royalty, were intended to communicate about the king or queen’s proximity to God and their relation to the people. As such, over time the thrones in capitals across Europe became increasingly magnificent and majestic. These could be ornate as is this Venetian throne on the left or as intimidating as the throne on the right made for Napoleon.

As the royal thrones inspired the rest of the nobility to seek chairs of own, they in turn inspired others and over time chairs became increasingly common at all levels of society. This diffusion of the culture of chairs was greatly aided by an increase in manufacturing capacity and affordability. As a result chairs not only became more common, they took on distinct looks and functions such dining chairs vs. accent chairs vs. Bergère chairs.

Possibly the single most important and dynamic period of European furniture design took place under the reigns of three French kings of the 17th and 18th centuries. The first was Louis XIV, who took the throne in 1643 but didn't take control of the government until 1661. He believed that furnishings and décor should be a tool to showcase the majesty and grace of the monarchy. As a result, furniture from this period (~1660 – 1720) is among the most elegant and ornate in history. The chair’s lines are typically straight, the backs upright and the shape rectangular. The chairs were usually richly upholstered and the woods were often gilded.

Soon after the turn of the century Louis XV ascended the throne and furniture styles changed rather dramatically. This period (~1700 – 1750) showcased a less rigid style, with curved and angled arms and legs along with rounded seats and backs. Under Louis XV furniture began to adapt to the needs and comfort of users, particularly women, whose wide dresses could make sitting very difficult on the rigid, squared chairs of Louis XIV. (You'll notice a slight overlap of these two periods. That's because these styles evolved organically and sometimes pieces seem to fit in more than one period.)

Finally we have the period inspired by Louis XVI (~1750-1800) which would push back against some of the changes that evolved under his predecessor. Gone were the Rocaille flourishes that had become common as a more restrained style came to the fore. Straight lines were back, and while curves were not abandoned entirely, a more subtle, slightly neoclassical rigidity appeared as legs would often be carved in the style of ancient columns and embellishments were slightly subdued.

The stunning evolution of chairs that would occur under the three successive French kings would result in a European style and grace that would last through much of the 19th century. This apex of design included everything from the sumptuous mid 18th century English Rococo style of Robert Adam and Thomas Chippendale to ornately decorated exquisite workmanship of 19th century France’s Napoleon III style with a cornucopia of elegance in between. Chairs were no longer just functional; they became works of art unto themselves. Today we look at the narrow straight lines of the English Neoclassical style and see elegance. We look at the more curved and inviting lines of the French Neoclassical style and see grace. Later we see the broad, expansive Louis-Philippe style chairs and we see warmth and comfort, followed by the majesty inherent in the intricacy of the Napoleon III style.

The 20th century brought a continuing evolution of chairs, from component and assembly line manufacturing to art deco styling to the ergonomic functionality. Today chairs are as a common part of our lives as is fresh water or canned food, but it’s interesting to remember that for most of human history chairs simply didn’t exist for the average person… although you have to wonder if King Tut would have exchanged his stern formal throne for a recliner or Herman Miller office chair.

French Embroidered Armchair circa 1780

Throne of Napoleon III

A Pair of Italian Venetian Style Painted and Gilded Wooden Armchairs

English Walnut Armchair, circa 1680

18th Century Italian Dark Wood Carved Armchair

A Pair of 19th Century Louis XVI Style Oval Back Armchairs

Late 19th Century French Side Chair

A Pair of French Vintage Painted Wood Armchairs

French Louis Philippe Period Armchair

A Pair of Large Swedish Rococo Style Painted Wood Armchairs

Gilded and Upholstered 18^th Century Armchair Designed by Robert Adam and Made by Thomas Chippendale

The Chair of Saint Peter in the Vatican

A Set of Six 20^th Century Venetian Style Painted Wood Dining Room Chairs

A Pair of 19th Century French Louis XVI Style Wingback Chairs

A Stunning Blue Upholstered Louis XVI Armchair

Pair of Italian Late 19th Century Upholstered Red and Gold Camelback Armchairs

A Pair of French Louis XVI Style Oval Back Chairs From the Early 20^th Century

Early 19^th Century French Gilded Armchair

A Pair of Italian 1920's Upholstered Chairs with Original Paint and Traces of Silver Gilt

An Italian Painted and Gilt Lacquer Throne Armchair

A Pair of Late 19th Century Italian Oval Back Painted and Gilded Wood Side Chairs

A Pair of Italian 19th Century Walnut Wood Armchairs with Cabriole Legs

Chairs in the Napoleon III Apartments in the Louvre

A Pair of Mid 20^th Century Italian Venetian Style Painted and Gilded Chairs

Sources:
http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com

http://www.onekingslane.com

http://www.1stdibs.com/blogs/the-study/louis-xiv-xv-xvi-styles/

Friday, May 27, 2016

From the Dawn of Man to the Roman Empire... A Short History of Chairs: Part I

Sometimes there are things that we take for granted because they seem so obvious and straight forward that we can’t imagine a time when they didn’t exist or at least weren't very common. One example… space. Not the kind of space with the stars and planets, but rather, the empty space between words. Believe it or not, that little space has only been around since the 8th century when monks decided that readingasentencewithoutspaceswastoohard… Can you imagine trying to get through War & Peace without spaces? Even Harry Potter wouldn’t have been much fun.

Another example is the wheel. The west has had wheels for thousands of years going back far beyond Egyptian and Roman chariots. In the Americas however, the wheel didn’t really exist until the Europeans brought it with them. Which probably explains why there’s no equivalent to “All roads lead to Rome” here…

Then of course there are chairs… The basic concept of a chair as we know it today was largely foreign to most people until the middle ages. It’s not exactly that chairs didn’t exist, they did, but the idea of a chair you can pull up to the dinner table or that you can crowd around a games table to play cards didn’t really exist for most people until after the Dark Ages.

Before that the notion of sitting did exist, but chairs weren’t really part of the equation. Archaeological digs suggest that seats existed in China as far back as 10,000 BC, but they were far from chairs however, probably just blocks of stone for one or more person to sit on. Indeed, although seating elements existed, most Chinese did not use them, preferring instead to kneel or sit on pillows or mats on the ground. Today this culture has been abandoned in much of the Far East, but it remains in some places, most notably in Japan where cushions and low tables are widespread.

Throne discovered in the tomb of King Tut

The Egyptians used seating as well, and did indeed actually have chairs. Early indications are that chairs evolved from simple backless stools to sophisticated chairs with backs over 5,000 years ago. By the time of King Tut in fact, chairs were nothing less than works of art unto themselves. His tomb included a number of dazzling gold plated benches and chairs.

Hieroglyphic evidence from ancient Egypt suggests that chair usage, while not as pervasive as in modern times, was found at all levels of society. This did not mean however that chair usage was common. In fact, chairs were often ceremonial pieces and were usually reserved for the head of the household. For those in the society's the lower economic strata, seats were usually little more than a stool with no back while those in the upper strata would have ornate chairs that bring to mind something closer to a throne than a chair. Interestingly, the root of the word chair actually means to sit or rest, which any common person could do, while the root of the word throne means to support, as in support the nobility or royalty.

The contributions of Egyptian artisans are said to have laid the foundation for all seating furniture: These early examples demonstrate basic woodworking skill, which gradually gave way to advanced techniques in woodworking, including sophisticated joints, veneering, ivory and precious metal inlays, and cushioning of virtually all available materials.

Throne and benches in the Palace of Minos

The use of seating was common in other cultures as well in the centuries before Christ. In Mesopotamia, where most citizens lived at ground level – resting on mats and rugs – nobility typically enjoyed seating of various sorts, particularly chairs. Interestingly, unlike the Egyptians, whose chairs evolved to curve to the body, in the various kingdoms of Mesopotamia they seem to have stuck with the rigid and straight construction which was much more formal.

On the island of Crete, the Palace of Minos at Knossos showcased 2nd century Minoan seating with a throne carved into the stone wall, and benches lining the remainder of the walls. Later the Greeks would develop an extensive array of seating, from stools to chairs to lounge beds, although seating remained elements of the daily life largely for – although not exclusively – the well to do citizens. Importantly, the Greeks seem to have elevated the notion of comfort in the area of seating, departing from prior civilizations where functionality was usually the driving force.

With the Romans however, the bed began to take primacy as the place where men would spend much, if not most of their time. Indeed, between eating, reading, writing and entertaining there probably wasn’t a great deal they did outside of their beds other than maybe visiting the baths or the Coliseum. Everyone else, including women, children and servants were largely relegated to benches or stools. Eventually however women seem to have transitioned to the use of beds as the primary locus of the day’s activity as well.

After the fall of the Roman Empire seating virtually disappeared from the west as the conquering nomadic tribes had little use for carting around furniture they were unfamiliar with in the first place and which would needlessly weigh them down in the second. All was not lost however as the Church would keep seating from completely disappearing in the west so that it could emerge centuries later and achieve unimagined heights.

Among items found in King Tut's tomb were chairs, beds and stools.

A Pair of 19th Century Italian Painted Curule Chairs

A French Late 19th Century- Early 20th Century Louis XVI Style Marquise Chair

A chair found in King Tut's tomb.

An Exquisite Swedish 19th Century Neoclassical Painted Wood Upholstered Tub Chair

Fifth century BC Persian King Darius on his throne. Notice the footstool to help maintain good posture.

A Pair of Italian "Dante" Style Wooden Chairs

Athenian politician Xanthippos sitting on a klismos chair.

An Italian Early 19th Century Wooden Chair with Animal Feet and Semi-Circular Back

Sources:
http://www.denverpost.com/2014/10/17/chairs-through-history-evolution-of-seating-weaves-a-tale/

http://www.exmoorantiques.co.uk/History%20of%20Seating.htm

http://www.randomhistory.com/2008/11/11_chair.html

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Antique Shops - Form and Functionality with a Bit of History Mixed In

Antique shops are like boxes of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get. Sometimes they’re time machines with pieces that connect a client and their house with a long distant period, while at other times they’re like a puzzle box where someone finds that one unique piece that fits just perfectly and makes a room complete.

It all starts with the pieces. You’ve got to figure out a piece’s style and age and provenance, sometimes at the exact time you’re evaluating how it might fit into your inventory and whether or not your customers will like it. Then, if you buy it, that’s where the fun begins! Now you’ve got to figure out how you’ll showcase it… will it be on its own or will it be part of a period vignette or one that focuses on style? What’s a fair price and is there a designer who’s been looking for something like it, or is it simply a piece you can’t resist and you just know once it’s in the shop someone will like it as much as you do? Believe it or not, that's pretty exciting stuff!

As a piece of furniture, a chest of drawers or a table lamp or a set of chairs must of course be functional, in that they do what they were designed for. But functional isn’t enough… form matters. As anyone who’s ever visited a government office or college dorm knows, functionality and form don’t always go together. I’m pretty sure that we all know people for whom form and functionality are on different planes which never seem to intersect!

But for those who seek both form and function as they furnish their homes, antique shops occupy a unique space. They typically have pieces whose form and functionality have been time tested, often over many decades or longer - otherwise they'd never make it to be antiques... What’s more, the pieces often have stories behind them. Whether it’s a period Louis XV Commode or a mirror from the Bunny Mellon estate or a nickel plated brass cross from Ethiopia, the pieces you find in antique shops bring a bit of history with them as they help fill out a room… and often act as great conversation pieces to boot!

So the next time you walk into an antique shop, take a look around and imagine the history of the pieces you see about you. How many people have looked into that Louis-Philippe period mirror and seen their reflections over the previous 150 years? Imagine 100 years of bottles of French wine being passed from person to person on that trestle table. What kinds of stories played themselves out over the last century under the glow of light from that 19th century Italian crystal chandelier? Antique shops connect the past with the present all the while making homes more elegant, more beautiful or simply more complete. Unlike a museum, antique shops combine form and function with history to brighten the lives of people as they go about their daily lives… Enjoy!

An exquisite, richly carved Italian wooden bench with upholstered seat, cabriole legs and gorgeous cross stretcher. Circa 1880.

Just how many thousands of people rested themselves on this

beautiful bench over the last 130 years?

Vintage Silver and Gold Painted and Delicately Carved Tree-Shaped Base Console Table with Marble Top. 20th Century.

One wonders how long it took the craftsman to create these delicate but very strong tables.

A 19th Century Italian Walnut Wood Credenza / Buffet, Richly Carved with Two Drawers over Two Doors and Bracket Feet.

Oh the delights this credenza must have held! Credenzas, originally, with their heavy wood and locking doors typically held the food of the master of the house... but only after it had been successfully tasted by the official taster, ensuring that the master would not be poisoned.

An Exquisite French 18th Century with 19th Century Movement Carved Wood Wall Clock Signed on the Face By Gilles L’Aîné, Horloger du Roy (King's Clockmaker), A Paris.

Given that this clock was made by the king's clockmaker, it no doubt gave the time to many of 19th century France's most important politicians or businessmen and perhaps even a few aristocrats.

A 19th Century Walnut Wood Swiss French Stretchered Center Table with Single Drawer.

This table would have looked equally at home in a French kitchen or a Swiss artisan's shop.

A Pair of 19th Century French Louis XVI Style Wingback Chairs with Good Early Paint and Nicely Carved Frame, Including Rosettes on the Knees and Guilloche Frieze on the Skirt. Fluted Legs.

These chairs look like they could have been sitting in a courtier's room in any chateau. Imagine the intrigues they would have seen!

A Pair of Italian Early 19th Century Crystal Chandeliers With Wooden Central Column, Multiple Faceted Crystals and Swoop Gilded Arms.

It's not hard to imagine the formal balls or wedding receptions that might have been illuminated by these beautiful chandeliers with the candlelight dancing off the
crystals long before electricity was available.

An Italian 19th Century Painted Poplar Wood Two-Drawer Chest with Cabriole Legs, Nicely Scrolled Skirt and Carved Drawers as well as Discreet Carving on the Side Posts.

What secrets have the drawers of this chest held? Records of political intrigues, lost love

letters from a secret admirer or simple recipes handed down from Grandmother?

A Swedish Nude Painting

For the sake of the model one can only hope that this painting was done in June or July, as those are the only two months of the year where Sweden's average temperature even breaks 70 degrees!

An Italian 18th Century Dark Stained Pine Wood Bench with Richly Carved Back and

Medallion and Tapered Legs.

From lovers whispering sweet nothings to parents scolding their children, the man in this carving has no doubt overheard a lifetimes worth of stories that brought about everything from unabashed happiness to tears of sadness and everything in between.

A Swedish Early 19th Century Baroque Style Table / Desk of Bleached Wood and Darker Painted Accents, Wonderfully Carved Support and Cross Stretcher.

Legal documents, corporate alliances, political intrigues, one can almost picture this desk at the center of a smoke filled room with men hammering their fists on it as they argue about who will carry the day. In the end, the table outlasted every argument.

Silver Color Framed Herbariums from Sweden, 1930's.

Herbariums such as these make wonderful decorative pieces, but for much of the 18th and 19th century they played an important role in the study of plant taxonomy.

An Exquisite Pair of 19th Century Italian Gilded Candlestick Table Lamps.

After a century of lighting dining rooms with candles, these candlesticks have been reinvented as lamps and no doubt will continue to brighten days for many years to come.

A Pair of Italian Carved Lime Stone "Panisci" Figures (Followers of the God Pan, Half Children, Half Goats), Playing Musical Instruments on Custom Wood Bases.

Panisci figures, not to be confused with cherubs, were said to divert attention from serious matters by blowing their horns and causing "little panics". Luckily these two don't seem to have their horns with them.

A French Early 19th Century Painted Wood Mirror with Floral Carving

from the Bunny Mellon Estate.

This mirror started its reflective journey in France then found its way to the home of a family that included heirs to the Mellon and Warner Lambert fortunes. Imagine the smiles, frowns and primping that were reflected in its four piece glass.

An English Early 19th Century Painted Wood Five Drawer Chest with Two Smaller Drawers over Three Larger Ones, Geometrical Patterns and Bracket Feet.

Over the centuries this chest no doubt held countless winter garments and socks to keep the wet blustery English winter at bay... but the locks suggest that at times it may very well

have held things a bit more valuable!

A Pair of 19th Century Painted Wood Mirrored Screens.

What activities might these screens have hidden? We'll leave that to your imagination...

An Italian Round Occasional Table With 18th Century Paw Feet, Painted and Gilded Wooden Base Decorated with Carved Swags and 20th Century "Sunflower" Top.

It's possible this table has held more than a few morning Amaretto and coffees

as well one or two Billinis before Carnevale.

A Rustic Late 19th Century Large Size French Wooden Wine Press.

Just let your imagination run wild with the thoughts of the endless array of spectacular French

wines this press might have been a part of creating over the years.

A Spanish 19th Century Trunk Made of Leather Embossed with Brass Nailheads Featuring Geometrical Patterns and Heart Shapes on the Sides Surrounding the Handles. Bun Feet.

One can only imagine the wonders this trunk once held... yards of fine Italian linens or a treasure of glistening Spanish doubloons, or maybe, just the toys from a long gone bittersweet youth...

An Italian 19th Century Painted Wood Buffet / Credenza with Two Doors, Three Drawers, Beautifully Carved Details Including Guilloche Frieze and Dovetailed Joints.

Imagine... over a century of seafood linguine, spaghetti & meatballs or baked lasagna this

credenza has kept warm. You can almost close your eyes and smell it...

A Pair of 18th Century Italian Wooden Armchairs with Cane Seats and Backs,

Tapered Legs, Scrolled Arms and Cushions.

One can almost imagine the conversations these chairs must have overheard as

they sat on the tiled patio of some Mediterranean villa...

An Italian 18th Century Wooden Console Trestle Table / Desk with Beautifully Shaped Sides.

No doubt, over its two plus centuries of life this table has been the setting for countless arrangements of flowers and perhaps even a wedding gift or two along the way.

A Wooden American chest from "Howe" Scale, From the Early 20th Century.

This chest no doubt greeted thousands of customers to the Howe Scale company, a scale manufacturing company that was incorporated in Vergennes, Vermont in 1856 and operated until 1961.

An Assortment of Ethiopian Crosses on Stands. Nickel Plated over Brass. 20th Century.

Great care is taken in the making of these crosses, no surprise given some people believe the Ethiopian Orthodox Church is the home of the Arc of the Covenant.