Shapland & Petter Furniture

Shapland and Petter. An Arts and Crafts firescreen with a shaped top pierced with a heart and floral inlay, with a beautiful peacock inlaid ...

An Arts and Crafts walnut Hall stand by Shapland and Petter with a copper panel depicting a mythical creature to the top, leaf cut-outs to the centre with circular ball uprights to e...

A good Arts and Crafts oak Hall stand by Shapland and Petter with a seat to the left and a mirror and glove drawer to the right, the lower section with Shaplands typical square shape...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Arts & Crafts Shapland & Petter Hall stand with hand hammered Copper panels over a Walnut frame with inset sheild mirror Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price A very good looking well made and decorative hat glove coat and scarf rack, this one is rare as it has the central mirror and its an earlier than usual example circa 1900 Made by Shapland & Petter, a full blub on their life and works can be found below In terms of the condition it is straight and solid, the piece sits well in any setting and looks decorative and very English country house, we have cleaned waxed and polished the timber, there is one hook slightly bent, otherwise its in fine order Dimensions Height:- 205cm Width:- 113cm Depth:- 40cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple Introduction This Barnstaple based company manufactured some of the finest pieces of furniture in Arts and Crafts style but very little has been written about the company or the pieces they produced. It a great shame that whilst Shapland and Petter pieces have been illustrated in books and auction catalogues they are invariably attributed to other makers such as Liberty and Co in London or Wylie and Lochhead in Glasgow. With this feature, we intend to inspire a more thorough appreciation of the work of the company; readers are invited to help with the task by sending photographs and information. Collectors and auction houses are now showing significantly more interest in Shapland and Petter pieces. The company, based in Barnstaple, England produced a very wide range of furniture in several different styles including many pieces in period reproduction and municipal style for town halls and commercial premises alongside their superb Arts and Crafts range Distinctive features of their superb Arts and Crafts style are the use of heart shaped piercing, geometric shapes with angled arches and the application of repousse copper panels. Decoration with marquetry, metal inlay, mounting of ceramic and enamel cabochons were techniques which they mastered with a combination of state of the art technology and traditional craftsmanship. Most distinctively, the pieces were extremely well made, with care and very best quality materials The growing interest in Shapland and Petter has raised many questions about the origins of the firm, and the sources of influence on their designs, some of which resemble designs by Ashbee, Ballie Scott, Voysey and Talwin Morris. Links have been assumed with Liberty and Co with the supposition Shapland and Petter worked on commissions for Liberty. There appears to be little evidence to support many of the assumptions which have developed around the company and this article is intended to help to start the discussion and to stimulate research The History of Shapland and Petter The Museum of North Devon in Barnstaple have an archive of Shapland and Petter which includes some company records and a small display of furniture and related items. The following text gives history of the company and is reproduced from the display boards in the museum with kind permission of North Devon Museums For over 100 years the Shapland and Petter factory has stood at the end of Barnstaple Long Bridge. Manufacturers of doors, door sets, and custom wood interiors, NT Shapland and Petter Ltd are still one of the towns largest employers. The company was established by Henry Shapland (b. 1823), a cabinet maker by trade. He embarked on a voyage to America in 1848, where he was inspired by an invention for a wave-moulding machine. He was only allowed to see it if he left the country immediately. Returning home with only rough notes, he reproduced the machine and in 1854 began a cabinet making business in one room at the Raleigh woolen mill in Pilton. Later the firm moved to Bear Street in Barnstaple. Henry Petter was an accountant who entered into partnership with Mr Shapland. The business progressed and in 1864 they bought the Raleigh Factory where Shapland first began his work. Success was rapid, but in 1888 the building burnt down. Immediately work began on a bigger and better factory - their present site by the Long Bridge - which included many modern inventions The two Henrys died within two years of each other - Petter in 1907 and Shapland in 1909. In 1924 Shapland and Petter merged with the Barnstaple Cabinet Company, producing North Devon's biggest industry. During the First World War Shapland and Petter's skilled craftsmen turned their hands to wooden propellers for the aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps. After the war, public tastes changed, and hand carved furniture was too expensive for many. Shapland and Petter's output now included elegant veneered pieces with smooth Art Deco lines. The company fitted out Pullman carriages and ocean liners and made hand-carved church furniture. The famous England Rugby Captain W. W. Wakefield was appointed Company Director in 1927. Throughout the depression of the late 1920's and early 1930's the company still managed to produce high quality work Furniture manufacturing continued until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Many workers left to fight, while the factory worked on Air Ministry contracts for ammunition boxes. After the war came radio cabinets and laboratory and contract furniture, until eventually large quantities of doors were being produced for hospitals, hotels, schools, offices and other buildings. Examples of Shapland and Petter's work can be seen all over North Devon. In Barnstaple, the shop front at 109 High Street is a good example, and the interior of the old Lloyd's Bank, now Chamber's Brasserie, was also Shapland's work. Examples of carving by Shapland's men can be seen in two chairs and a reading desk in Barnstaple Parish Church As cabinet makers, Shapland and Petter employed up to 350 people at a time. There were designers, carvers, cabinet makers, machinists, polishers, and labourers. The company was one of the first to install American labour-saving devices and was keen to adopt the most up-to-date machinery The fire of 1888 at the Raleigh Cabinet Works was a huge loss for the company. However, it resulted in a new factory which was altogether more modern and better equipped. The new building by the river was arranged into blocks. The production line began with the saw mills and ended with the finishing rooms. There was modern machinery in every department - one of their saws was the first of its kind in Britain. Water sprinklers and electric lights were a necessity - this factory would not burn down As well as the furniture production, Shapland and Petter imported timber by sea and rail. The new factory 's facilities were exceptional Shapland and Petter were renowned for excellent design and workmanship. The carvers were highly skilled, serving seven year apprenticeships and attending classes at the Barnstaple School of Art. Ornately carved furniture required up to a hundred tools The factory produced made to order woodwork for banks, hotels, and shops; mantelpieces, paneling and staircases. They fitted out Pullman railway carriages, the London Guildhall, and Edgar Wallace 's dining room as well as houses like Tapeley Park in North Devon Much of the work involved intricate leaded glass panels, or inlaid fruitwood designs, like the white bedroom suite shown in the exhibition here. This type of work is typical of Art Nouveau 1895 to 1910, inspired by the fluid shapes of plants and flowers Many pieces were made from standard designs. There were hundreds to choose from, and a selection could be seen in local and London showrooms and in catalogues. Although mass-produced, this furniture was well-made by skilled technicians and modern machinery Arts and Crafts designs of Shapland and Petter The development of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the South West of England has not been written up in any detail though we do know of the Art Potters of Barnstaple from the excellent book of this name by Audrey Edgeler. Less is known of the Barnstaple Guild of Metal Workers. We know of the Bath Cabinet Makers and the Newlyn School of Industrial Art in Cornwall but very little has been written about the furniture makers of Barnstaple in Devon The establishment of a large cabinet making firm in Barnstaple is not remarkable in itself; there were several cabinet makers in the area. What is interesting is that this particular Barnstaple firm should become a leading maker of Arts and Crafts furniture, copying the styles of the leading Architect designers and creating their own unique style Critics may point out that as their work was commercially driven and reliant upon machines it therefore does not really qualify as Arts and Crafts. Whilst the company was highly innovative in machine technology, they also employed many craftsmen who worked with their hands in woodcarving, marquetry work, design and application of decorative copperwork and other artistic embellishment in the true Arts and Crafts tradition. Anyone who has experience of Shapland and Petter workmanship knows the level of craftsmanship invested in each piece Sources of inspiration There appears to be no evidence to link any known architect, artist or designer to the Shapland and Petter company. Their designs appear to have been created solely by their own internal design staff none of whom appear to have published or registered their work in any other context C. R. Ashbee who established the Guild of Handicrafts visited Barnstaple in 1893 and provided a twelve week course on the design and decoration of furniture. It is presumed that this visit was hosted by Shapland and Petter, and that their own staff and those from other local furniture makers attended the course. Ashbee appears to have been unimpressed by the commercial attitudes he encountered and apparently disappointed at the lack of interest in his (high minded) lectures. What is interesting however is the similarity between some of his designs and those used by Shapland and Petter, particularly in respect to inlaid floral design. Perhaps he left a lasting influence which has not yet been verified There has been some speculation on the influence of Scottish designers, particularly because of the use of Glasgow rose designs which are typical of the Glasgow School, and particularly of Talwin Morris. There are also several designs which use similar motifs to those used by Baillie Scott, the use of two doves in flight for example. More research is needed to trace possible links here. One thing that is clear is that there was a great deal of copying and selling designs in the furniture industry at the time and a nineteenth century survey on the furniture trade recorded that '' Barnstaple pays the best prices for designs ..'' Collaboration with other companies There is evidence that Shapland and Petter organised a wide network of companies to retail their products and hence many pieces have the labels of retail furnishers added. Little is known of their marketing in Europe and America but it may be that many Arts and Crafts pieces were sold abroad. Shapland and Petter had excellent access to rail and shipping lines for importing timber and presumably for exporting their finished products The extent of their collaboration with other companies is yet to be ascertained but there is evidence that their suppliers included the Della Robbia Pottery, Pilkingtons Tile...

Shapland and Petter. A set of four Arts and Crafts oak dining chairs with leather seats

A top quality Arts and Crafts oak Hallstand by Shapland and Petter with bevelled mirror flanked by a circular copper disc with hat and coat hooks, stylised cut-outs and stylised flor...

Shapland and Petter. A long run of Arts and Crafts oak tub chair's with shaped solid seat and shaped head rest. An interesting detail to the back legs set at 45 degrees to the front ...

Shapland and Petter. An Arts and Crafts oak bedside cabinet with stylized floral inlaid decoration in the form of Albalone flower heads.

Shapland & Petter Edwardian mother of pearl inlaid mahogany display cabinet, stamped to lock and fitted with a series of shelves and mirror a...

Shapland & Petter. A wonderful Arts & Crafts mahogany writing desk with a pierced heart to the top, shaped back and sides, with upper three quarter shelf and a stylized floral leaded glass back below. A period style leather writing area with hand tooled gilt decoration to the edges. A bow fronted drawer with stylized copper heart...

Shapland and Petter. An oak Arts and Crafts hall/side table or small desk with central drawer flanked by decorative roundels. Floor to bottom of desk: 59 cm

Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple. England. An Arts and Crafts oak double piano stool, window, or duet seat with stylized details throughout. Las...

Shapland and Petter. An Arts & Crafts oak planter with opposing copper heart shaped panels.

Impressive pair of English antique five drawer campaign chests crafted in mahogany in a two piece construction with brass hardware and turned feet. Signed Shapland & Petter one of Englands oldest furniture...

Shapland and Petter. A rare Arts and Crafts two tier Walnut three leg plant stand, the upper apron with a row of incised turnings with the original good quality copper flower pot. Th...

Shapland and Petter. An Arts and Crafts three drawer dressing table with pierced heart, swivel beveled mirror and stylised copper handles and escutcheons...

Shapland and Petter, in the style of C.F.A. Voysey A good quality Arts & Crafts solid quarter sawn oak double bed with wonderful figuring to the oak pa...

Shapland and Petter in the Liberty style. An Arts & Crafts oak music or storage cabinet with slightly angled sides. The top display area with stylized cut-out to the back and extend...

Shapland & Petter. An extremely rare mahogany dining room set consisting of a sideboard, a buffet and two chairs. The sideboard and buffet all...

Shapland and Petter. A good set of seven Arts & Crafts oak armchair's with shaped headrests, stylized cutouts to the side and back splats, and contoured comfortable seats with a good...

Shapland and Petter. A set of six Arts and Crafts oak dining chairs with subtle shaped back slats and incised details to the square t...

An extremely charming and rare English golden oak antique Arts & Crafts leather-top desk in lovely condition. Made around 1900 by renowned Arts & Crafts makers Shapland & Petter, thi...

Shapland and Petter. An Arts and Crafts oak desk or side chair with ball finials and pierced hearts to the head rest and to the wide side stre...

An Arts and Crafts oak fire surround by Shapland and Petter with five heart carvings to the top flanked by tapering columns with a central circular detail. The overmantel sits on th...

Arts & Crafts mastery abounds in these classic English oak armchairs by Shapland & Petter, out of England. The peg joinery and hand carved oak is a masterclass in traditional woodwor...

Shapland and Petter. An Arts and Crafts hanging oak bookcase with a circular copper plaque depicting stylized floral details with original chocolate patina and stylized Tulip cut-out...

Shapland & Petter. An Arts & Crafts oak plantstand with Voysey style discs finials, and lollipop style uprights to the upper section, on square legs united by a lower shelf. with tur...

Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple. A small Arts and Crafts Ash side table with a moulded edge to the wild grain top with arched aprons below on fine slender tapering legs united by s...

Shapland & Petter. A pair of Arts & Crafts oak dining or side chairs in the style of George Walton with finely turned tops, pierced hearts to the backs with lower arched aprons and Q...

Shapland and Petter. A good Arts and Crafts oak rush seated chair in the style of M H Baillie Scott with a lower heart cut-out to the back rest. A wide apron below the seat with subt...

ST057 Edwardian Shapland & Petter mahogany kidney shaped writing table/desk, with original black leather tooled writing surface (showing minor signs of usage) and ornate brass galler...

Sn5028, fine quality and very elegant Edwardian mahogany and inlaid display cabinet or arched form, having cavetto cornice above double string inlaid frieze and a pair of satinwood c...

A pair of Arts and Crafts oak armchairs by Shapland and Petter with shaped back and incised details to the square tapering legs. Re-upholstered in contemporary Morris fabric. Height ...

An Arts & Crafts mahogany waterfall bookcase cabinet by Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple, featuring Moorish inspired mihrab shaped tall recesses, ribbed molding to the door and brass ...

Shapland and Petter. A good quality set of six Arts and Crafts oak dining chairs. Stamped underneath with the RD number: 71949 Measur...

Shapland and Petter. A quality suite of ten Arts & Crafts oak dining chairs with a rare three seat model with carved roundel to the head rests. These have all been gently knocked ap...

Three Arts and Crafts oak dining armchairs by Shapland and Petter, with stylized floral carved details to the back boards and stylized floral cut-outs to the head rests, now professi...

Shapland and Petter. An Arts and Crafts oak side table with a hammered copper top, the legs with applied squashed ball feet are united ...

Shapland and Petter. Stamped with their design numbers under the seats. An unusual pair of English Arts & Crafts Ash side chairs with heart-shaped op...

Shapland and Petter. A rare Arts & Crafts oak chair in the style of M H Baillie Scott with slatted angled back and upside down heart cut-outs around the apron below the seat on shape...

Shapland and Petter Arts & Crafts oak stick stand with pierced heart detail to the top a single upper key and glove drawer with stylized brass handle fla...

Shapland and Petter, a pair of Ash side chairs in the style of M H Baillie Scott with stylized circular cut-outs, spindle backs, original rush seats and shaped floor stretchers.

Early 20th century Arts and Crafts Cabinet by Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple, Oak with various exotic and stained woods The exterior inlaid with overall chequer banded borders, t...

A super pair of Arts & Crafts oak open armchairs by Shapland & Petter of Barnstaple and dating to circa 1910. With three roundels to the toprail and tulip shaped splats beneath, they...