British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Typically made of mahogany, teak or bamboo and featuring a range of fabrics and prints with botanical patterns, antique British Colonial furniture and decor varies as it involved local materials and techniques and spanned centuries of design styles.
As the British Empire expanded from the 16th to the 20th century, its conquest and control of colonies around the world bolstered its wealth through the extraction of resources. Including colonies in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australasia, this spread of often violent subjugation imposed British culture, language and faith on Indigenous peoples. The design of homes was included in this expression of imperial power, with government officials, merchants and military officers creating homes mimicking the luxuries they were used to in England.
Local artisans were commissioned to replicate British designs, resulting in versions of Regency, Chippendale, Sheraton and other styles of furniture being crafted from mahogany, rosewood, ebony and teakwood as opposed to beech and oak, which were more common in Europe. Whereas the colonial furniture for the Portuguese and Dutch regularly had motifs of indigenous flora and fauna, the British tended to want more exact reproductions of their home country’s designs.
To escape the summer heat in places such as India and the Caribbean, British colonizers relocated to airy houses in the hills or plantations, leading to foldable chairs and collapsible desks in the style of military campaign furniture. Rather than upholstery as they might have in Europe, chairs and sofas in the British Colonial style had rattan and cane seating for these higher temperature climates. The contrast between the light textiles and the dark colors of the sturdy furniture became a defining aesthetic of British Colonial interiors.
Find a collection of antique British Colonial outdoor furniture, seating, bedroom furniture, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
Late 20th Century British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Brass
20th Century American British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1870s Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Oak
Late 20th Century British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Bronze
Late 20th Century British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Brass
Early 1900s English Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Copper
20th Century American British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century North American British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Faux Leather
20th Century Italian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Reed
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Tin
Mid-20th Century Italian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Asian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Metal
Late 20th Century Unknown British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Wicker, Rattan, Reed, Wood, Willow
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Copper, Steel
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
18th Century French Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Copper
Mid-19th Century English Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Brass, Copper
18th Century Spanish Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Copper
20th Century English British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Majolica, Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
20th Century Chinese British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
Early 20th Century Italian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Ceramic
20th Century Chinese British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Porcelain
1980s American Vintage British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Shell, Wood
Early 2000s Indian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Silver Plate
1930s Indian Vintage British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century English British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Gold Plate
Late 20th Century Indian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Bone
18th Century British Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Ceramic, Porcelain
Late 19th Century English Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Metal
Mid-19th Century Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Earthenware
1880s English Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Stained Glass
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Brass
20th Century Jamaican British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Bamboo
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique British Colonial Vases and Vessels
Brass