Royal House Antiques

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely 1 of 2 large hand made in Paris France, Leon Jallot Art Nouveau, Burr Walnut & Oak bookcase cupb...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this exquisite vintage fully restored hand dyed cigar brown leather Collin & Hayes armchair and matching ott...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning hand made in England vintage Bevan Funnell RRP £3799 Chesterfield Directors captains armchair ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely Burr & Burl Yew wood small bank or chest of drawers made in the Georgian taste Please note the...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely large, two drawer Burr Walnut Brights of Nettlebed filing cabinet Please note the delivery fee ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime Vintage hand made in England Burr Walnut chest of drawers with Butlers extending top Please no...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely Burr & Burl yew wood bedside, side table sized chests of drawers Please note the delivery fee l...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare and highly collectable, R Wolff, Les Jeux Automatiques, hand made in Paris France football table...

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...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this nice decorative pair of vintage Luggage Trunk style bedside nightstand drawers or side tables Please n...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely small Burr & Burl Walnut breakfront sideboard with bank of drawers to the middle Please note t...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime Vintage Oyster / Laburnum wood wall mirror with stunning timber grain and boxed frame boarder ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime Vintage Oyster / Laburnum wood wall mirror with stunning timber grain and cushion framed boarde...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely suite of five handmade original Victorian dining chairs with original upholstery Attributed to H...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime Circa 1940's Pitch Pine dining table that seats 4 with ease and up to 6 with a thick pedestal b...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning Fully Restored, Ralph Lauren, hand dyed brown leather club sofa RRP £24,000 Please note the d...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning highly collectable Antique Italian oak housekeepers cupboard for Wardrobe for folded and hangi...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage circa 1960’s Serpentine fronted, Burr Walnut side table sized Nightstand chest of drawer...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely textured gold leaf Portmanteau Luggage rack Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime Vintage Oyster / Laburnum wood wall mirror with stunning timber grain Please note the deliver...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage Drexel Heritage rectangle wall mirror with lovely timber patina Please note the delive...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Museum quality, fully restored extra large double sided twin pedestal partner desk with brown leather, ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning and very rare original Circa 1840 English Mahogany Hunt Table with second tiered sh...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely hand made in England vintage Flamed Mahogany open bookshelf with nicely turned finials Please ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning, hand carved, flamed Mahogany, throne style armchair as seen in Lord Marchs Goodwoo...

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Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning suite of six Victorian Circa 1860 hand carved Walnut Claw & Ball feet dining chairs Please no...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely Burr Walnut Broghts of Nettlebed Record Player cabinet with leather Faux books to the front that...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely sublime and very rare pair of original, circa 1940’s Liberty’s London Omersa brown leather h...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely exquisite, fully restored, hand dyed, ornately studded brown leather trunk with a Crown and ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale absolutely stunning ornately carved original Antique Scottish Bobbin Turned side chair with Porcelain castor...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely fully restored hand dyed Cigar Brown leather captain's or directors armchair Please note the de...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely fully restored hand dyed Cigar Brown leather Chesterfield captain's or directors armchair Pleas...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning pair of heavily carved large Antique Italian Carolean throne armchairs in hand dyed brown leat...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage suite of Drexel Heritage Furniture mid century modern Military Campaign style display cases with a large central section and spotlights 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 good looking and well made suite, they are super elegant and very stylish, crafted in the Military Campaign style which never goes out of fashion, I have a pair of small matching sideboards listed under my other items with match the central bottom section of this suite This is a modular suite so you can remove the central section top which is simply screwed in, the base unit slides out, you then have two matching display cabinets...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare and collectable Ralph Lauren Glass & Patinated Bronze floor standing light Please note the...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely Vintage circa 1940-1960 English Brass & Cylindrical glass hanging lantern Please note the del...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely vintage fully restored, extra large 4 person, hand dyed brown leather Howard & Son’s style sofa ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this highly decorative hand painted Naval Desk of Captain S.D Gardener of the H.M.S Soloma dated 1865 Pleas...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely decorative pair of vintage Bollinger Champagne buckets A very decorative and well made pair, t...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely exquisite pair of fully restored, vintage circa 1960-1970 Italian Murano Glass Banci Firenze...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this vintage Bradley Furniture Burr Yew wood & Brass Military Campaign style coffee table with three drawers...

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Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original circa 1910’s Venetian etched mirror with bevelled edge in the shape of a rectangle wi...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original English circa 1740 Figured Walnut, Rosewood & Boxwood writing bureau with brown leath...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning highly collectable Victorian Hungarian Curly Ash housekeepers cupboard for linens and coats P...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this very rare and important fully restored C Hindley & Son’s circa 1845 English Oak & Green Leather double ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely pair of vintage wicker storage trunks with hardwood tops that can be used as seats and storage o...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely exquisite pair of fully restored side tables each with twin drawers and bookcases sections t...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely exquisite pair of fully restored, traditionally French Polished side table sized chests of d...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale absolutely stunning pair of Art Nouveau repoussé Pewter wall mirrors with Antiqued foxed glass panels most l...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this absolutely stunning pair of super rare, highly collectable wrought iron Hanging Lanterns in restored co...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning, fully restored vintage five piece sofa, armchair and coffee table suite by Sigurd Ressell (19...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this sublime Antique Oyster / Laburnum wood cushions framed wall mirror with stunning timber grain Please ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale stunning Antique Liberty's of London style hand carved wall mirror made in India after the traditional Burme...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning fully restored vintage Chesterfield tufted Bordeaux leather wingback armchair Please note the...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely suite of three stunning fully restored hand dyed Whisky Brown leather, Gothic Revival Steeple ba...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare highly collectable original Georgian circa 1800-1820 large Housekeepers drawers which is par...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original hand made in England circa 1860-1880 Throne armchair with ornately hand carved Lion G...

Royal House Antiques We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare original 1937 fully stamped King George VI Coronation stool made in limed oak by Waring & Gillow Please note ...