English Furniture
1660-1714, from Charles II to Queen Anne
by Adam Bowett

The year 1660 was something of a watershed in English decorative arts, particularly that of furniture design. It was the year of the Restoration when King Charles II came to the throne after the subdued period of the Commonwealth when the country was under the Puritan rule of Oliver Cromwell.

Flamboyant design with a pronounced French influence became popular and marked a distinct change with earlier furniture making.

This new book from Antique Collectors' Club, English Furniture, 1660-1714, From Charles II to Queen Anne examines the furniture of the period in detail. The author closely examines changing styles throughout those 54 years, together with information on the kinds of wood and the techniques used.

The author, Adam Bowett, says, " I have attempted to write this book from first principles and, in the main from primary evidence—bills, inventories and, of course, the furniture itself." He felt it was necessary to go back to original documents because various theories, stories and traditions had replaced hard facts in the study of the furniture of the period. The only way to ascertain the truth and to produce an accurate of chronology of styles and materials used was to go back to contemporaneous documentary evidence.

He studies the fashionable furniture of the time regardless of condition because he is not interested in the commercial value, only of the historic importance.

The subjects covered in the book include case furniture, chairs, tables, stands and mirrors. He also covers lacquer, jappaning and marquetry.

The book is extensively and beautifully illustrated not just with pictures of furniture but also of the distinctive and telling details of pieces. For example, next to a picture of a cabinet, there is a close up of a drawer front from the piece showing the use of veneers as decoration. There are also pictures of drawer pulls, illustrating the different styles used as wells as hinges, locks and escutheons.

Adam Bowett began work as a saleroom porter before becoming an historian. Today he is a lecturer in Furniture History at Brunel University.

He must be congratulated on his meticulous attention to detail, both in the text and illustrations. He has provided a definitive reference book on English furniture between 1660 and 1714 and this is an essential addition to the bookshelves of any dealer or collector of furniture of the period.

Quick Facts
Title: English Furniture, 1660-1714, From Charles II to Queen Anne

ISBN: 1-85149-399-9

Author: Adam Bowett

Publisher: Antique Collectors' Club

Number of pages: 322

Binding: Hardback

Price: £45

Copyright © 2002 by Carol Fisher All Rights Reserved

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