Many Fine Instances of Antique Bookcases

Many Fine Instances of Antique Bookcases

When looking for antique bookcases, domestic pieces will often date from way back to 1700 when case home furniture began to be produced within serious quantity. Bookcases as expected can be traced returning as far as the later part of the 16th century and also there are some very great examples at Oxford School Bodleian Library. Early examples of bookcases were usually produced from oak, and were rather plain rather than pretty. Very early text books would be laid washboard on the shelves, and it was only with the advent of printed industry that spines along with titles would be exposed outwards.

A maple bureau bookcase from the time involving Queen Anne (1702-14) is a very okay example of an early collectible bookcase. Pieces like this produced part of a movement in furniture earning in Britain, with the planned arrival of Huguenot craftsmen eliminated from France at the end of the 17th millennium and these new styles of manufacture remained throughout the 18th century. The agency bookcase was an surrounded set of shelves arranged upon a bureau or writing counter. The desk possessed a fold down flap by way of sets of drawers organised beneath. The cabinet added to top to hold the textbooks had two commonly mirror glazed entrance-ways which helped to be able to encourage light. Those cabinets were frequently pedimented on top to give a architectural quality with the piece.

As the Eighteenth century progressed, varying varieties antique bookcase evolved. A greater architectural pieces ended up being being made for your local library and the smaller lightweight bureau bookcase for the painting room. Walnut have now become especially scarce and mahogany was being imported as its supplement. The bookcase was not merely made to showcase literature but also to express the art of the cabinet maker and many fine samples remain from the time with George III onwards. Door fronts used to be generally glazed around astragal mouldings and beading and these beautiful glazed doors may well range from fairly obvious to very complex.

One of the most impressive bookcases will be the breakfront. These are large new pieces with smashed pediments and moulded cornices, ordinarily made from mahogany. They can be wholly or half glazed with cupboards other than bureaux underneath, usually by using three or four sets of shelves, with the central establish pushed forward as well as breaking the front in the piece.

Towards the end for the 18th century, designer designers like Robert Adam contained furniture like the secretaire cabinet and secretaire bookcase into their overall house design. Balance lighter satinwood had become widely used during this later occasion and Adam employed tradesmen and artists to brighten furniture with marquetry inlay or simply painted neoclassical motifs along with garlands of flowers. Various pieces were incredibly bright and beautiful indeed.

Much Princess Anne, Georgian and Neoclassical furniture in the 18th century was heightened during the Victorian era therefore there remains a great choice of well made, enormous and more compact classic bookcases in a variety of guises from which to choose. These are very upon pieces of furniture and make outstanding investments for the growing in number antique collector, or the general investor.
|