Identifying Antique Furniture by Period
When you are trying to pin a date on your piece of furniture, one of the first things you should do is consider the design style of the item. Different periods in our history gave birth to their own individual design styles and much of these inspirational (or evolutionary) steps to better design meant that for collectors like us, every period holds a different treasure.
I have tried to compile a fairly comprehensive list of the most popular periods below with a brief summary of the period as well as a small description about how the design styles looked in each period. This should hopefully help you pinpoint the kind of furniture you own.
Also remember that its not only the design style that shows a furniture's age and although the styles are a good indication, you must be wary that many replicas exist today. In order to cut the chaffe from the wheat you must also get a little history of the antique to verify the story and get some background information and match the timeframe in your head. As well as that you must also look to see how it was made. You need to learn to identify the wood joints for identifying the age of antiques, learn how to identify the type of finish and just be vigilant.
A practiced and well learned eye can uncover all kinds of treasures in the piles of furniture we mere mortals take no notice of.
Gothic (1558-1625)
Furniture from this period had a great emphasis on presence and height. An underlying need to impose on everything else in the room, including the people! It was essentially of simple and crude construction and was solid and massive and severe in character.
Gothic Antique Furniture Auctions
Early Colonial 17th Century
Colonial furniture pertains [generally] to furniture that accompanied the colonisation of 'newfound' lands, such as the Americas, West Indies and India and is heavily dependant on the so called 'mother' country's styles - in most cases, English. American colonial furniture is probably the most popular for collectors and it can be identified by its heavy use of wood and was often left unfinished (untreated). Spindle forms were used for chair legs and backs in lieu of fancy ornamentation.
American Colonial Antique Furniture Auctions
Louis XIV (1643-1715)
Pertaining to the styles in France 1660-1710. Hugely influenced the Baroque style in furniture during the earlier part his reign which later developed into the Regence' style. Louis XIV furniture was too elaborate and costly to be found in the homes of the middle class. Mahogany and oak were widely used. Regence' was characterized by its use of curves and introduction of Chinoiserie. Ornamentation was usually done with rocks, shells, and flowers. Decorative motifs, often boldly carved, included beasts from mythology, garlands of fruit and flowers, animal forms, and the fleur-de-lis in particular.
Louis XIV Antique Furniture Auctions
Louis XV (1720-1760)
Louis XV furniture remains emminently more popular than Louis XIV furniture, albeit (possibly) due to the sheer volume that was produced. As for the furniture itself, the style of furniture was essentially Rococo with soft, flowing lines, shell and flower ornamentation, rich upholstery, inlaying and painted furniture. The furniture, which was immensely popular in the period and unlike furniture from the previous reign, was cleverly adapted to suit the needs of all the different classes, from royal to provincial, and offered maximum comfort.
Louis XV Antique Furniture Auctions
William & Mary (1689-1702)
A Period of English furniture from 1689 to 1702. It represented a provincial, country Baroque style. Design characteristics included curved lines, bun (ball) feet, oriental lacquer work, and the Dutch influence of William in oyster veneer and floral marquetry. Furniture of this period included upholstered armchairs with high backs, highboys and lowboys. As a side note, by the 18th century, a simplified version of Baroque William and Mary style began to appear in the interiors of American buildings.
William and Mary Antique Furniture Auctions
Queen Anne (1702-1714)
A period in English furniture design from 1702-1714, characterized by an adaptation of Baroque and the extensive use of the cabriole leg. Walnut was the dominant wood. It centred around a more focused presentation of English motifs in the designs and was often displayed with a mixture of different textures and materials. Veneering in walnut was a popular finishing method, and gentle, subtle curves added grace.
Queen Anne Antique Furniture Auctions
Sheraton (1751-1806)
More popular in America than in Europe, the Sheraton style was charecterised by its straight lines and smooth edges. It was particularly remarkable for its refined elegance, excellent proportions and balanced distribution of ornaments. It mirrored the influence of Robert Adam and the Louis XVI style, both of which Sheraton was a keen admirer of.
Sheraton Antique Furniture Auctions
Germanic 18th Century
Germanic furniture represented very old traditions, decorative motifs originated in medieval illuminations.
Federal (1780-1820)
The architectural term Federal is also called
Neo-Classicism since the classical styles were introduced during America's Federal age.
Empire (1820-1840)
The second phase of Classicism or Empire style, reflects the fascination with recent discoveries of actual Greek and Roman furniture.
Shaker 19th Century
The Shakers, a religious sect made a significant contribution to American design.
Innovative (1800-1900)
Innovative furniture became very popular during the 19th century, when furniture makers started to experiment with new machines and materials.
Art Nouveau (1880-1920)
A style inspired on free flowing or organic forms, floral abstraction, linear, undulating and rhythmic.
Edwardian (1901 - 1910)
Edwardian Furniture was a style of furniture very popular in England during the reign of King Edward VII in the early 1900s. You can identify Edwardian furniture by its well known eclectic, opulent qualities and style.
