Period Antique Furniture

By Author: Jane Cooper
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If you are a collector of antiques, specifically antique furniture you will find the information on this site of great interest. We will take a close look at the world of antique furniture and give you some tips on enhancing your collection of period pieces.

Quick Tips on selecting Period Antique Furniture

Furniture made from the mid 1600s all through to the beginning of the 19th century can be considered period antique furniture.
Some of the most renowned period antique furniture ever produced was by the Goddard Townsend family of Newport, Rhode Island. The pieces are extremely valuable as well.
Often times the periods of antique furniture tend to overlap because the outgoing style often influenced its successor’s style. We can classify the major periods as Colonial and Federal, with the Colonial period dating from approximately 1620 to 1780 and comprising Jacobean, Queen Anne and Chippendale styles. The Federal period dates from approximately 1780 through to 1820 and comprises the Hepplewhite, Sheraton and Classical styles.
In the words of antique furniture expert Lyn Sack ...
... Wall, “a piece must possess a beauty and quality that transcends the bounds of the era or even the field of art it represents” in order to qualify for masterpiece status.

What exactly is Period furniture?

Furniture pieces that have been flawlessly hand made by master craftsmen in the colonial wood-making shops and signed by the maker are the hallmark of period furniture. Period furniture is characterized by the overlapping of different periods and styles of antique furniture. A close study of the melding of styles often gives the collector a valuable clue to the age of the antique furniture piece.

What makes period furniture so valuable?

Each piece of antique furniture from the Jacobean to Chippendale in the colonial period and from Hepplewaite to Classical in the Federal period, it has to be of the highest order, check the artistic merit of the piece to see whether it commands attention and will be worthy of a high value.
Antique furniture is considered to be valuable because of its history and originality. As a collector you should be well read on the subject so as not to be fooled into over evaluating a period piece. Many collectors of period antique furniture find that it adds to their status and prestige and makes for an excellent conversation topic as well.
One of the most renowned antique dealers of our times, Albert Sack gives us a few tips on how to define your antiques.

Good †should denote mediocre at best.
Better †should denote items crafted by fine craftsmen but weak in proportion, design or workmanship.
Best †should refer to a piece produced by a superior craftsman and worthy of a very discriminating collection.
Superior †should refer to a piece executed with high quality and aesthetics.
Masterpiece †this term should be applied to the highest levels of quality products and beauty that transcends the bounds of the age
You can successfully apply these terms to any period antique furniture you may be interested in collecting; consider them as important when evaluating your selections and remember that some superior pieces can be considered masterpieces but all masterpieces are indeed superior.
About Author:
Jane Cooper writes about Houston contemporary furniture and furniture in Houston.