Art and Life——European Antique Furniture


      

      With the increase of economic ability of contemporary people, European antique furniture , as one of the treasures of contemporary art, has begun to integrate into the lives of the public. More and more people with special feelings for classical furniture have begun to buy antique furniture , some to improve their living style, some to decorate their homes, and of course, some for personal collection  . Let's talk about the art in life - European antique furniture!


Characteristics of European antique furniture


      Compared with American antique furniture, European antique furniture, especially Italian antique furniture, is more attractive. In essence, European antique furniture emphasizes comfort, style, practicality and versatility. However, it has different performances in different periods. In previous articles, we also made some detailed explanations of furniture styles in different periods. If you still have questions, you can check the historical news for more detailed article introductions.



Renaissance


     The patterns of furniture are mainly guilloche (twisted pattern), egg-shaped, short spear, beaded thread, leaf decoration, flower decoration, etc. The decorative themes are religion, history, and fables. The main materials used for furniture are walnut, basswood, oak, rosewood, etc. The cover is made of leather dyed with bright colors.


Baroque period


     The carved patterns are irregular pearl shells, mermaids, centaurs, sea gods, seahorses, garlands, scrolls, etc. Human statues are often used as the legs of the table top or as horizontal decorations under the table top. In addition to exquisite carvings, gold foil veneer, gold-painted lacquer and veneer parquet decoration are also very popular.


Rococo period


     The soft, winding lines make it look exquisite and delicate. With white as the base tone, graceful curves are carved on the white base tone, and then painted with gold or painted with gold, and finally painted with high-grade nitro to show the natural color of the beautiful texture. The main decorative patterns include lions, sheep, flower and leaf borders, leaf vines and spear-shaped patterns.


Neoclassicism


     The workmanship is exquisite, the shape is refined and simple, with straight lines as the keynote without too dense details, and right angles as the main body, pursuing the harmony and echo of the overall proportion. The main decoration is roses, bouquets, ribbons, cups, etc., and the items are tied with beautiful flower knots.


Victorian era


     It is a representative of the chaotic style of the 19th century, which indiscriminately integrates historical furniture forms. The design tends to be degenerate. The components are heavy, and the furniture has comfortable curves and rounded corners. New materials and technologies are used, such as metal pipes, cast iron, bent wood, and laminated wood. The chairs are equipped with coil springs, and the decoration includes inlay, paint, gilding, carving, etc. It uses mahogany, oak, qinglong wood, ebony, etc.


      Oude antique furniture is exquisitely crafted, romantic and luxurious, especially French furniture, which is simply a combination of romance and luxury, taste and comfort. French antique furniture fully reflects the classical style of the former French court, creating a luxurious and romantic living atmosphere of French aristocrats that people dare not look directly at.

Key points for purchasing antique furniture

1. Material


     European furniture is generally made of hardwoods such as walnut, mahogany and ebony. British furniture prefers solid wood, while continental countries such as France, Italy, Germany, and Northern Europe focus on inlaid veneer furniture. The factors that determine the price of antique furniture are very complex, and the material is only one of the reasons.

     In addition, the age of furniture, historical events, and the international situation at the time have an important impact on the price. For example, during the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, Britain cut off the export of high-quality raw materials such as mahogany to France, causing the French furniture industry, which was heavily dependent on foreign wood, to stagnate. Today, antique furniture made during this period is very valuable.



2. Production process


     Antique furniture decorated with inlay craftsmanship is top-quality and worth buying. Marquetry is a surface decoration technique that is widely used in architecture, interior design and furniture decoration. It originated in Asia Minor and achieves the purpose of decoration through the change of color and texture to produce beautiful effects.

     Inlay work has great flexibility in design, so that wooden furniture is no longer restricted by its original wood grain, but also because of the complexity and variability of the material and the extremely high difficulty of restoration.



3. Repair status


      Restoration of antique furniture is very important and does not reduce the value of the furniture, because proper cleaning and restoration can help preserve the condition of the furniture for a long time.



4. Understand art history


     Don't be confused by "Renaissance" (Renaissance: 14th-17th). Make it clear whether it is "Renaissance furniture" or "Renaissance style furniture".

     The 16th century "Renaissance furniture" at its peak is extremely valuable in the market and is generally a museum collection. The "Renaissance style" describes the design style of furniture that is based on the classical aesthetics of the Renaissance period and is an important feature of 19th century European furniture.



5. Incorporate modern furniture


      Furniture reflects the owner's financial resources and living conditions. Try to choose antique furniture that suits your style. The key to collecting furniture is to integrate it into your life. In fact, making antique furniture a part of your daily life can better maintain and preserve the furniture's past style. According to different styles, it is also a good idea to appropriately replace antique seats with soft covers made of imported fabrics.



After talking about these, I would like to show you some excellent exhibits. The creative shapes, ingenious designs, exquisite craftsmanship, and the personality and talent of the artists behind them will always make us stare and imagine...


Pair of French Bourgeois style wall cabinets

A pair of French Chinese style chests of drawers

French inlaid ladies' writing cabinet

French Marquetry Sideboard

French Gilded Copper Cartel Wall Clock

French double door sideboard

Pair of French gilded candlesticks and hanging mirrors

French style desk

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