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The Story of an Exquisite and Rare Antique Secretaire
Sometimes, working in the antiques business can feel more like we’re living in a thrilling detective story! Here at Butchoff Antiques in London’s Kensington Church Street, we are surrounded by beautiful objects which all have individual fascinating tales – some are still mysterious and have yet to be fully discovered! Take, for example, this 19th-century secretaire, or writing cabinet. The decoration features extensive marquetry inlay, illustrating architectural scenes of Classical Roman inspiration, and interlaced with bouquets and garlands of flowers. It embodies the exuberance and prestige of the Louis XVI taste, being dressed in elaborate gilt bronze mounts. Its design thoughtfully interweaves the motifs of the marquetry work and ormolu…
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Decorative Motifs of the English Neoclassical Style
The neoclassical style was a late eighteenth-century European movement in the decorative arts that embraced a revival of ancient principles derived from the classical Roman and Greek architecture. In England neoclassicism is also known as the ‘Adam Style’, named for two brothers, Robert and James Adam, who created ingenious designs and decorative interiors for English houses, some of which remain today, such as Kedleston Hall, Harewood, Kenwood, and Syon houses. Delicacy, Gaiety, Grace and Beauty It was during Robert Adam’s four years of architecture training in Italy that he was greatly influenced by the interior decoration of private Roman interiors, and the ‘delicacy, gaiety, grace and beauty’ of their ornamentation.…
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Antiques | English Furniture of the Georgian Period
This is the first article in a twelve-month series by Butchoff Antiques on discovering English and European eighteenth- and nineteenth-century furniture and decorative objects. We begin with English Georgian furniture: its quintessential charm, major characteristics, and enduring influence. English Georgian Furniture Thinking about English furniture brings to mind pieces that are finely crafted, mostly brown in color, and representing an epoch of comfort and the grand country house. Such pieces are what the Georgian period is best known for. This extensive period witnessed some of the greatest and most influential designers and furniture makers in England’s history, such as William Kent, Robert Adam, Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite, and Thomas Sheraton.…
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Why Pick Me? 5 Reasons to Take Home an Antique
In a hyperactive modern world full of endless choices and change, why choose an antique for your personal space, office, or art collection? The team at London-based, Butchoff Antiques, have put together five compelling reasons to take another look at the timeless designs created in the past. 5 Reasons to Take Home an Antique 1 Historical Significance Antiques are enduring symbols of the historical importance of design and high taste. As versatile objects, to be both appreciated visually and used practically, antiques tell stories about the history of fashion, decoration, and utility, connecting the past to present. Pay attention to the details! The form and decoration of a piece can…
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Antiques: Rare Regency Period Mahogany Expanding Table
EXPANDING ROUND TABLE BY ROBERT JUPE This English masterpiece of cabinetmaking and mechanical engineering is a highly important extension dining table designed and patented by the legendary Robert Jupe, and retailed by G. Morant, Interior Decorator and Upholsterer to King William IV and Queen Victoria. One of only a handful known, this mahogany table perfectly illustrates the Regency era’s quest to combine technical innovation with superb and beautiful craftsmanship. The table’s circular top is formed of multiple interconnecting segments. When the top is rotated, an ingenious swivel mechanism causes the sections to diverge, allowing a set of leaves to be inserted to increase the table size. Details: Circa 1835, 61″…
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Luxury Spaces: Incorporating Antiques into Contemporary Interiors
When designing the look for a luxury home, many select one style over another but interior decor styles need not be mutually exclusive. Instead, blend different styles for a more interesting and uniquely personal style. The result is great visual interest injected into a personal space that expresses your personality and taste giving place to pieces that are special or have sentimental value that are not of the same style/period as their interior. Contemporary or Modern? Choose Both! For example, should your décor be contemporary or modern and you want to place a few well-chosen antiques as accent pieces or focal points, you can. Some of the best designed and…
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Investing in First Edition Books: New Index Reveals Best Performers 2004-2014
Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World has outperformed all others between 2004 and 2014, reveals the inaugural edition of Paul Fraser Collectibles’ PFC40 First Edition Books Index. The index is up 140.3% – 9.2% per annum – over the 10-year period. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World achieved the greatest percentage increase in value – up 700% between 2004 and 2014, or 23.1% per annum, from £500 to £4,000. F Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is the most valuable book in the top 40 at £90,000. JK Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is the best performing contemporary work – up 19.3% per annum to £17,500. George RR Martin’s A Game…
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Luxury Home: Add Luxury Sparkle and Shine to your Fine Table with Stunning Antiques
Do your tastes tend towards the British period drama television series “Downton Abbey”? Here are some touches to add luxe and inspiration for your at home fine dining and setting an authentic, themed table for you and your guests with stunning pieces discovered in M.S. Rau Antiques. With an extensive and dazzling collection of historical and museum-quality sterling silver serving pieces, flatware and tableware adds exquisite beauty to any table setting. M.S. Rau Antiques are specialists in 18th and 19th century antiques, of the kind seen during the post-Edwardian era British series portraying the aristocratic Crawley family, the sheer selection of antique sterling silver pieces can be awesome to say…
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Top Five Luxury Collectible Investments for 2014
Here’s the problem. An investment implies that at some point you will choose to sell up. But when you own one of the world’s great collectible rarities, whether it’s an astronaut’s space suit, a 1960s Porsche, or a celebrated postage stamp, parting with it is no easy matter. Yet if you can let go, history has shown us that the world’s rarest, most prestigious items can offer terrific year-on-year returns. Here are five to consider for 2014: 1 Space flown memorabilia “This has been to the Moon?!”Items flown into space (or even better, to the Moon) are among the most prestigious pieces to own in the space memorabilia sector. That…
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Discover: Picture Frames
We’ve all heard the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” but we often forget to pay tribute to the very thing that holds it altogether, the picture frame. True to its nostalgic nature, picture frames were derived 3000 to 4000 years ago from tomb paintings and vase borders. Burgeoning with such rich roots infused with European culture, frames were used as decorative accents to mosaic wall pieces. It was around this time that the decorative nature that picture frames first encompassed, transformed into an art of preservation, still bridged with an ornamental demeanor. Origins of the Picture Frame The 14th and 15th century marked the golden ages, where…
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Excellence in Form and Function: Hans Wegner Chair Design
I was sitting and looking out the window the other day at 24 inches of snow blanketing my yard. I should have been thinking about how beautiful it was, but instead I found myself griping, “Boy, is this chair uncomfortable!” I’d still rather be sitting than shoveling, but I had to wonder who made this chair, and what they were thinking. I bought it because it was apple green and I loved the color. I wasn’t thinking about whether it would be comfortable and functional. Sometimes it seems like the nicest looking chairs are the worst to sit in, and the comfiest ones look terrible. However, that doesn’t have to…
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Discover: Vintage Postcards
Postcards have a rich history spanning all four corners of the globe. Dating back to 1840, the postcard’s use and appeal have been as varied as the styles themselves. Hand delivered lithograph prints, woodcuts and small cards were the originals predating the “mailed” postcard by two decades. The first copyrighted postcards appearing in 1861 were dedicated mainly to advertising until government issued cards began appearing as early as 1870 in Hungary. It wasn’t until 1889 that pictorial postcards became popular. Since then, whimsical art and the introduction of photographs have evolved through seven distinct eras of postcard production. Among them, the Pioneer era, the Linen Card and Photochrome eras and…
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