Antique Buffet Furniture
Antique buffet furniture comes in many variations and styles. As with anything that the world has to offer, all furniture changes over time. This is no different than if you were dealing with an antique wood desk. Here are some of the styles offered over the past four hundred years.
Gothic (1558-1625) Gothic furniture was first introduced in the mid 1500s. Buffet furniture of this era offered a very simple design. It was also very large and built to last.
Early Colonial (17Th Century) The birth of the early colonial furniture took place sometime in the 17Th century. It is also known as Jacobean furniture. It was the earliest recorded American furniture. The design was influenced by the Italian Renaissance. Buffet furniture of this time offered turned balusters and rounded bun feet. A widely used feature of the early colonial was that of a shallow carving of the panels. It was also painted and very sturdy. Some makers of this type of furniture are Abel Cottey (1655-1711), Kenelm Winslow (1599-1672), Thomas Dennis (1638-1706), and Peter Blin (1640-1725).
Louis XIV (1643-1715) This furniture greatly influenced public taste, but was never introduced into the middle class home. It was designed for the royals of the time. The cost of such elaborate furniture was too high for middle class families. Makers of this furniture included Robert de Cotte (1656-1735), Domenico Gucci (1635-1704), Philippe Poitou (1650-1709), and Pierre Le Pautre (1648-1716).
Louis XV (1720-1760) This furniture was introduced to the public in 1720. Its variations were so greatly widespread that virtually anyone could use it. Rococo furniture is associated with the furniture that was made in the time of Louis the XV. Some makers of this furniture are Pierre Garnier (1720-1800), Robert Martin (1706-1765), Gilles Marie Oppenord (1672-1742), and Roger Vandercruse (1728-1799).
Queen Anne (1725-1755) Queen Anne furniture is perhaps one of America’s most popular styles. America simplified the English version of the queen anne furniture and added three different English periods to the mix. The result being a very elegant style.
Sheraton (1751-1806) The Sheraton style was also a very elegant type of furniture. It was greatly influenced by the Louis the XV style. The maker of this furniture was Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806).
Shaker (19Th Century) The shaker furniture was introduced by a religious group known as the Shakers. This type of furniture offered a great deal of influence on the American design. It had no ornamentation, yet was delicate and graceful.
Art Nouveau (1880-1920) This type of furniture focused mainly on the flowing of untouched rhythm. Usually it featured abstracted organic or floral forms. Some famous makers of this type of furniture are Emile André (1871-1933), Alexandre Charpentier (1856-1909), Eugène Vallin (1856-1922), and Louis Comfort Tiffany (1848-1933).
Innovative (1800-1900) This type of furniture was introduced when furniture makers first started using machines.
These are just some of the different styles of furniture offered in our past. Within these types, there are many different makers and distributors. Depending on the era of a piece of antique buffet furniture, it can be a true piece of art.
Comments Off