Today, Thursday, July 9th, 2009 we will close at 1:30 pm
We apologize for any inconvenience, but we have to be closed for most of the afternoon for family reasons.
We will reopen tomorrow at 10 am, as usual.
English antiques: Victorian mahogany Tree hallstand
English Victorian tree hallstand
The above piece of antique furniture is a so called ‘tree hallstand‘, for its obvious resemblance to a tree. It was crafted in the Victorian period of solid mahogany, popular exotic wood from the colonies of the Victorian era. The hallstand is of very good quality as most hallstands were in the old days, when it would be the main piece of furniture that visitors and guests would see, giving them the only, or the first and last impression of the social status and taste of the family. That’s why the budget for hallway furniture, and for hallstands in particular, was so significant. That also means that most examples are of very good quality.
To see more photos and for more info, dimensions and so on, click on English antique tree hallstand
Please note that pictures do not give the pieces justice, nor do they for the finish, one of our main selling points, as it’s done by us and it’s french polishing, with shellac only, applied with a pad.
For a more realistic experience we suggest visiting the store, Old England Antiques at 1015 Boylston St, on Route 9 West, in Newton, Ma, 02461, from Tuesday to Saturday from 10 to 5.
Appointments not necessary, but if you want to make sure that it’s still available for viewing and you can do so in the best possible way, we strongly recommend calling or emailing ahead of time.
English 1900s Drinks’ Cabinet
Original British walnut and mahogany antique cabinet.
This English made cabinet is in great conditions. It has been restored recently and french polished. The finish is still, however, customizable and adjustments can be made to the shine, color and more.
For more images, dimensions, restoration status and so on, go to Antique English Drinks cabinet.
Please be advised that the high quality finish of our pieces is very difficult to appreciate by viewing photos, particularly online on a computer screen. We highly recommend viewing the piece in person at :
Old England Antiques - 1015 Boylston St - Newton, Ma - 02461 - On Route 9 West.
Appointments are not necessary between 10-5, from Tuesday to Saturday, but we recommend calling ahead of time to check availability and to ensure best viewing is possible.
Apologies…
We want to apologise for not being able to open on Saturday, April 19th, and for not being able to put up a sign and give you advance notice.
As some of you know already, a family emergency kept us from being at the store that day, until very late in the afternoon.
Some called and in most cases we were able to make arrangements.
For those of you who didn’t call or didn’t hear from us, please let us know so we can serve you as we should have last Saturday.
You can call us @ 6 1 7 - 9 9 9 - 0 2 6 9 or send a message from here
Again, we are very sorry for any inconvenience…
Antiques’ definitions: China display cabinets
In England, china display cabinets they were introduced in the late 1600s and they served the purpose of showing items and collections of china.
Later all sorts of items and collectibles were put on display, china, porcelain, glass, ceramics, silver and so on.
They typically would have a large glass front door or more, and glass to the sides as well, to allow a better view and get more light inside the cabinet.
The shelves were not necessarily very thick, as they weren’t supposed to bear much weight, as for books in bookcases.
There could be a panelled section in the doors to allow for more storage, as pieces would be out of sight and could be stacked.
China display cabinets were important pieces that had to be attractive enough to work as a container for pieces that were to be seen and enjoyed.
That’s why they are often fancy and ornamentally rich, with good woods used and fine design implemented in crafting the pieces in all styles throughout the centuries.
Antiques defined: Chest of drawers (bureau or dresser)
Chests of drawers were pieces of furniture designed to keep clothing. They are also known (especially in North America) as dressers or bureaus (bureaux).
They represent the evolution of chests that were not practical when travelling and stacked, since the lid could not be opened easily and access was limited. Drawers were then invented and chests of drawers (literally) started to become popular, even for homes. A transitional piece was a chest (coffer) with a single drawer at the bottom, and still a hinged lid.
They typically have multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above each other. Some of the drawers could be different in size (height, width or even, although more rarely, depth).
Many, English antique chests of drawers in particular, have a double top drawer, basically 2 drawers instead of just one wide one. Locks became soon increasingly common, for privacy reasons rather than a real antitheft device.
Access to the drawers‘ inside can be accessed by pulling them out at the front side. Chests of drawers were usually positioned with the back side against a wall since access to the back is not necessary. The lateral sides could also be placed against a wall or in a corner, however in modern design, this would be usually discouraged and baseboards would interfere with moulding on the furniture. It’s also suggested to leave a little space between the piece of furniture and the walls or other furniture, a few inches or more depending on the size and contents of the room. Some well made chests of drawers had an incorporated spacer, usually in the form of an extension of the top, to keep the back side away from the wall, to allow air circulation and avoid humidity accumulation behind the furniture and mould.
They were made to accomodate clothes in the bedroom, but since some were extremely stylish, well designed and rich in materials and/or ornaments, today they can be found in any room of the house to store anything that can fit in the drawers, or even traditionally designed business places, offices and stores, to hold documents and else.
As far as height of the chests of drawers, they could be either waist-high, or shoulder high, with very few exceptions.
Both would have a flat top, and some of the waist height ones would have a dressing mirror to the back of the top, often an adjustable one, to allow to dress in front of the clothing container and check the appearance at the same time.
Lampstands, personal and decorative items were often on the chest of drawers‘ top.
Antiques’ definitions: occasional tables
Occasional tables are pieces of furniture that have a smooth flat top and are supported by a base or one single pedestal leg or more, typically 4, sometimes 3 (tripod), 5, 6 or more vertical supports.
They serve the purpose of supporting household and collectible items in many different areas of a home.
They can be placed against a wall, consol tables (or consolle tables) and side tables, in front of a couch and armchairs, coffee tables, cocktails or sofa tables, or to the side, end tables, or scattered in various areas and corners, corner tables and so on…
Their purpose is often also decorative as they can be made of rare woods and inlaid, carved and ornamented, nicely finished and polished.
Groups of smaller occasional tables that can variously fit in each other and be pulled out for the occasion, are nesting tables (in North America, nests of tables in England) and they usually slide into each other.
Occasional tables in modern times can be found also as a replacement for the traditional bedside cabinet, that is not required for holding a chamber pot any longer.
They can have drawers and compartments, undertiers, and other details.
In brief, occasional tables are the smaller and most versatile tables in a home.
Today’s English Antique: China Display Cabinet, Edwardian, Mahogany.
English Edwardian display cabinet with dome top.
English Edwardian Mahogany China Display Cabinet with dome top.
Original lock and comes with key, reupholstered interior in a neutral white (can be replaced), solid wood upholstered shelves, glass panel sides, decorated door with 5 separate glass panes.
French polished with shellac rubbed in by hand only. The actual finish is a natural shine, but it can be adjusted to more or less shiny, or even opaque and/or waxed.
No woodworm or other signs of deterioration. Well kept and maintained.
Secret compartment present…
The max dimensions are:
Width: 24″
Depth: 12″
Height: 62″
Code: 22B309
How to use a china display cabinet
If you have small collectibles to store and show, for yourself or your guests to enjoy, as a conversation starter or as pure entertainment, antique china display cabinets are the type of furniture that you should consider.
Although made in the past centuries, since becoming popular in antique Georgian England, for the purpose of storing precious china items, they are very versatile and can nicely display any small and fancy item.
Whether china or ceramics, silver or figurines, glass or gold, porcelain or wood, or anything else, china display cabinets were designed for the main purpose of displaying the pieces preserving the items from dust and smoke, pests, from possible breakage and even theft.
They usually were made of glass, to the front and often to the sides in the vertical ones (typical display cabinets and curios), and to the top and sides in the horizontal ones (display cases and showcases).
The glass would allow the pieces to be viewed better and let in more light than bookcases, for example.
Appropriate upholstery and sometimes glass shelves and mirror backs would allow the contents to stand out more and be better enjoyable, from all angles.
Display cabinets are usually placed in well lit places where homeowners and guests can easily see them and the contents. Think about extra spotlights and modern and efficient lighting to make a showpiece out of it.
The items stored and displayed should fit in the environment, even more than the display cabinet itself, with external pieces in someway connected and associated to what’s inside the cabinet, same period or style or materials for example, Victorian, Edwardian, ivory, silver, rosewood, ebony, and so on.
The display cabinet itself should stand out attract attention. However, it should not conflict with the rest of the room design and colours. If the wall is dark, use a light coloured wood cabinet, like oak, if it’s light, you want a darker wood cabinet, like mahogany or rosewood.
A formal environment will require a more formal piece, especially as far as finish; go for french polished antique cabinets.
A lockable cabinet could provide a degree of security, from children for example, but don’t rely on them being safe from burglars; a locked cabinet could actually attract more attention and a break-in, with heavy damage to the piece.
That’s why antique cabinets should have a working lock, to preserve value as an antique, but shouldn’t necessarily be locked if frequent access is required.
Pieces inside should be displayed in a way that they are very viewable, so far apart. Don’t fit too many items, think about another cabinet, in a different spot if different, or next to each other with a little space if twins, which are almost impossible to find as genuine antiques.
They should also be spread out in a balanced way, with more smaller items around fewer larger ones, to compensate and balance.
The focal points, the center of any group of items, usually a larger or more important one, should be behind the center of the glass panes of the cabinet, not behind the frame. Think also about balancing the contents of the display cabinet on the various shelves, but at the same time think about lighting and eye-level in the specific situation.
To learn more, get some inspiration by museums, which are often full of neat and tidy display cabinets of all sorts, with appropriate lighting.
Antiques defined: side tables
Antique side tables are tables that are designed to stay against a wall.
They usually have a straight side that can easily lean against the wall, but they can be found in any shape, depending also on period and style.
They serve many different purposes such as: consolle tables, games tables, lamp tables, buffet tables, writing tables, occasional tables and so on.