Antique Collection

For most normal people a good collection of money seems to satisfy their acquisitive instincts. However, I have noticed that more and more denizens of the International Set are becoming cognoscenti and aficionados of the Ancient Object. ‘A thing of beauty is a Joy for Ever’ as the poet neatly put it (especially as [...]

Now comes the ‘piece de resistance’! A crudely made shelf unit is fitted on top of the transformed dresser complete with rounded end sections and stinkwood pegs. The whole contrivance is then stained in a light overall colour and finished with one of the many ‘antique sealants’ which are available today, and another ‘old Cape [...]

Some magnificent pieces of furniture developed out of the humble chest. Today, collectors can chooser from many styles and forms.
No matter how luxurious or humble, a chest of drawers can trace its ancestry back to the simple top-opening chest (also called a coffer) — one of the oldest items of furniture. Other descendants include the [...]

Since they became an integral part of interior decoration in the 18th century, these items have been made in a diverse range of materials and styles.
Both mirrors and screens were origin- ally designed for a practical function, beyond mere vanity or decoration: wall mirrors to reflect the dim light of candles at night, and screens [...]

Cabinets have been prized possessions since the 17th century, and are among the most visually arresting and impressive forms of furniture.
The earliest cabinets made in Britain, in the mid-17th century, were used to store precious belongings and papers.
By the end of the 17th century, however, they had become objects of distinction and elegance in their [...]

The bureau neatly combines the function of a writing table with that of a decorative filing cabinet — features which make it doubly sought after.
The Bureaux’s distant ancestors were the medieval lectern and its more portable version the lapdesk, which had a hinged flap like the top of a bureau. By the late 17th century, [...]