Driscolls Antiques – Antique Furniture Blog

Antique Writing Cabinets on Stands

During the ca1650s a new form of antique writing furniture was made with its own base support. The writing cabinet on stand had instead of a sloping lift up lid, had a fall front concealing drawers and pigeon holes, which opened to form a writing surface supported on cords at either side. The exterior usually had very good figured veneering and very good examples were made with oyster veneers of walnut or with floral marquetry and some cabinets were inlaid with ivory and mother of pearl. The legs of the stand were usually baluster or spiral turned.

Later Cabinets on Stands usually were luxurious writing tables. They were usually veneered in fine marquetry of exotic woods, and with cabriole legs. Some of these had sloping lids or had a flat writing surface opening out from the table top, and had drawers and compartments rising from the back. By the late 1760s the Bonheur du jour was made and was a ladies antique writing table. It had a flat writing surface at the front, varying arrangements of shelves, drawers or small cupboards at the back, and a drawer below. French examples were decorated with gilt bronze mounts and fine marquetry veneers of unusual woods and sometimes with porcelain plaques.

The English version of the Bonheur du jour was more restrained, with finely figured timbers and good proportions, edges were straight and legs usually were square tapered. Mahogany or satinwood was often used with bandings or panels of rosewood, sycamore, tulip or box wood.

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Antique Stands and Racks

The term antique stand is used in a wide of items and means any kind of support or can be used for a piece joined to another item of furniture, such as a cabinet stand. Antique cabinet stands were designed to be both practical and easily portable. They were often decorated with fashionable carving or inlay and they were always functional.

Antique Folio and Reading Stands

The antique folio stand allowed the reader to store a heavy book and folio stands were usually adjustable, often with a hinged action, to allow for different thicknesses of books. Some antique reading stands were intended to hold music scores whilst others were more solidly constructed to take a heavy book. Like folio stands, reading stands could be adjusted so that the reader was able to place the book at different heights and angles. They were usually placed in there Library with there antique library furniture.

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Antique Music Stands

The antique canterbury was for storing music and the antique music stand was designed for holding the sheet music whilst playing. Professional musicians such as Mozart and Schubert would have used music stands and they were not only a decorative item were very functional.

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Antique Dumb Waiters

The antique dumb waiter was first used in Britain ca 1725 and had a central shaft with circular trays, which sometimes revolved. The tray increased in size from top to bottom and the piece would have tripod feet. The idea of the antique dumb waiter was so the absence of a servant, helped confidential dining, and the dumb waiter would have been placed at the corner of the antique dining table for diners to help themselves to additional cutlery, puddings and cheese and after dinner, bottles of wine were placed on the trays.

As time progressed several different designs of the dumb waiter was produced, including much larger versions with turned side supports and several shelves.

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Antique Writing Slopes

Small antique slope topped writing boxes ( antique writing slope )have been known from the 16^th and early 17^th centuries and they had sloping lids, often lipped at the lower edge, so they could double as a reading lectern. Many were decorated with carving, inlay or some even had painting. Inside they were fitted with compartments and small drawers for paper and writing equipment. they are small and so portable so they can be used on top of a table or chest.

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Antique Washstands and antique Bedroom Furniture

In ca 1750the antique washstand became a piece of furniture. Mid 18^th century antique washstands are usually made of mahogany and have twin flap square tops which open from the centre to reveal a fitted interior with sunken bowl, dressing compartments and a rising mirror that lifts up from the back.

regency washstands became larger, usually with rectangular tops sometimes with hinged backs and fitted with mirrors on the inside, above central basins other compartments. From the 1830s onwards they became more useful in design and have splash backs and this style is more useful to use as an antique writing table.

When the wash stand was made as part of a bedroom suite in the late 19^th century it became more elaborate with cupboards, drawers and shelves that sometimes framed a toilet glass, often made of satinwood and sometimes painted with flowers. Edwardian and late Victorian washstands were occasionally with Arts and Crafts tiles and were an essential part of the antique bedroom suite.

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Antique Refectory Tables

The name antique refectory table is a word to describe the long joined tables that were made from the 1550s to 1700s and then reproduced in the Victorian and Edwaridan times onwards. The antique refectory tables and the antique trestle table is the earliest forms of antique dining table. Someof the early tables have huge single plank tops which is very rare, but most have two or three long planks of wood along the top. Most of the earlier examples are made from oak, but you can see tables that are made from elm or a combination of the two together.

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Antique Davenports – The History

The antique davenport desk was first recorded in the 1790s, in the records of the renowned cabinet maker Gillows of Lancaster and it states ‘Captain Davenport a desk’. And this is the first example of the small writing desks now called by the captain’s name.

Most of the 1800s the davenport was mainly used by the Lady and would have of a small chest of drawers with a desk on top. The antique davenport desk changed very little in design over the years and most antique davenports have four drawers that open at one side and have faux drawer fronts on the opposite side, above the drawers there is sometimes a pull-out slide to hold papers and some examples have cupboards concealing drawers. Many antique davenports are fitted with casters at the bottom so they can be moved around easily.

The top sections usually have a desk with a sloping lid and have a leather writing surface, and a lift up lid behind and sometimes with a brass gallery. They usually have small drawers for storing writing equipment and ink wells.

The Victorian davenport desks are usually supported on elaborately scrolled or turned supports, which allows a recessed space for more leg room.

Antique mahogany wood was the most popular wood for antique davenports but some very nice examples were made in rosewood or burr walnut and would sometimes have stringing lines of brass or box wood inlay and with decorative brass drawer handles, brass galleries at the back and brass castors.

Some Victorian davenports had wood turned galleries or would be fretwork carved and would have turned wood knobs

The antique davenport was still made up to late Edwardian times and are still a very popular piece to buy today.

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Antique Tripod Tables

An antique tripod table is a three legged table that was used for tea or desserts and was the most popular small table of the 18^th century. Most antique tripod tables have tops that can tip up into a vertical position when not in use so can be stored away or into the side of the room.

The best antique tripod tables have a top that is made from a single piece of solid mahogany ( a one piece top ) Country tripod tables were usually made from oak, fruitwood or elm.

They are very useful tables and ideal for occasional tables for lamps or ideal for small flats to use as a small dining table to store at the side of the room.

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Antique Bedside Tables and Antique washstands

antique bedside tables and antique commodes, also are known as ‘night tables’ in were first made in France during the 18^th century. By the latter part of the century they were designed to conceal the chamber pot sometimes behind a tambour fronted slide or faux drawer, and some had a basin for shaving or washing. These new designs replaced the commode chairs, which were often copied in the late 1800s.

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