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.
18th C. English Pine Curtis & Horspool London Act of Parliament Tavern Clock
Located in Dayton, OH
18th century monumental museum quality Act of Parlament clock. Made from pine with a large round face over elongated case. Features an enameled metal face marked Curis Horspool in Le...
Pine
Rustic Continental-Style Square Wall Clock, Carved Wood, 19th Century
Located in Queens, NY
Rustic Continental-style square table or wall clock with a silver metal and glass case containing carved wooden Roman numerals surrounding a central beige and black clock face, toppe...
Glass
Rare 18th Century English Clock
Located in Madrid, ES
Rare 18th century English clock Marquetry Weight: 9.20 kg England Sizes: H 62cm L 31cm very good condition.
Bronze
Antico orologio oro argento
By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.
Located in Cantù, IT
Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orologio oro argento Antico orolo...
Silver
18th CENTURY NEOCLASSIC CLOCK WITH CHARIOT
Located in Firenze, FI
Refined neoclassical clock in gilded bronze and marble base. The body consists of a classical depiction with a gilded bronze chariot and a swan's head, inside which sits a draped gir...
Marble, Bronze
$5,214
H 95.67 in W 23.63 in D 10.24 in
Masterful antique English grandfather clock, mahogany, 18th century
Located in Berlin, DE
Masterful antique English grandfather clock, mahogany, 18th century. English grandfather clock, 18th century, mahogany veneer with ...
Metal, Brass, Iron
Corum Sterling Silver Erotic "Ball" Desk Clock with Enamel Dial Limited Edition
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Corum Watch Company STYLE / REFERENCE: Erotic Ball Desk Clock METAL / MATERIAL: Sterling Silver and Semi Precious Stones CIRCA / YE...
Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Wall Clock
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A traditional Austrian Biedermeier wall clock featuring a rectangular carved and gilded wood frame clock face; surmounted by a gilt bronze winged eagle. The decorations on the frame ...
Bronze
French 19th Century Ormolu Cartel Wall Clock
Located in Brighton, Sussex
A good quality 19th century French gilded ormolu wall clock, having Rococo influences to the scroll foliate decoration and cherubs above the eight day striking movement, circa 1880.
Ormolu
$6,500
H 3 in W 2 in D 1.5 in
Shreve & Co Jade Carriage Clock with Exposed Escapement Sterling Hardware 1915
By Shreve & Co.
Located in Long Beach, CA
FACTORY / HOUSE: Shreve & Co STYLE / REFERENCE: Victorian Style Carriage Miniature Carriage Clock METAL / MATERIAL: Nephrite Jade and Sterling Silver Hardware CIRCA / YEAR: 1915 DIMENSIONS / SIZE: 2 Inches Wide X 3 Inches Tall X 1.5 Inches Deep MOVEMENT / CALIBER: 8 Day French with Exposed Platform Escapement. DIAL / HANDS: WARRANTY: 18 months on the movement This rare and all original miniature carriage clock was produced for the legendary house of Shreve & Co. The workmanship is exceptional the Silver Hardware is all hand made. We have never seen this extraordinary clock before and it has just been given a factory quality service by our finest watchmaker. Shreve & Co. is a jewelry and watch retailer that was founded in San Francisco, California in 1852. The company was originally founded by George C. Shreve and his nephew Samuel, and it quickly established itself as one of the leading jewelers in the West. In the early days of the company, Shreve & Co. specialized in selling silver...
Jade, Silver
Table clock Opening lost hinge Swiss clock 8-day Salimbeni
By Giorgio Salimbeni, Salimbeni
Located in Firenze, FI
Rectangular table clock with rounded vertical sides in 925/1000 sterling silver with translucent fired enamel on guilloche, in Art Nouveau style from the early 1900s. Hand-engraved e...
Sterling Silver, Enamel
Cartier Art Deco Table Clock
By Cartier
Located in New Orleans, LA
This Art Deco period table clock by Cartier is an extremely rare find and in a class of its own. Crafted of black lacquer, no detail was spared by the famed firm in creating this hig...
Silver, Brass
ELEGANT 18th CENTURY LONDON LONGCASE CLOCK
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A George III period fiddle back mahogany longcase clock. The eight day movement with a full brass dial signed Ed Mann, London Fully cleaned with 2 years warranty Circa 1775
Brass
Quality Antique 18th century mahogany longcase clock
Located in Ipswich, GB
Quality Antique 18th century mahogany longcase clock, having a quality antique 18th century longcase clock, a quality mahogany case with a ...
Brass
21st Century by Elda Lippi "OROLOGIO 6" Marble Clock
Located in massa, IT
Marble clock designed by Arch. Elda Lippi Size: cm. 12 x 12 x 6 H. Materials: Bianco Carrara - Nero Marquina - Pietra serena - Pietra dorata.
Marble
18th Century English Chinoiserie Clock
Located in Charlottesville, VA
An 18th century English longcase clock with chinoiserie decoration on a black lacquer ground, featuring gilt figures, pagodas, and landscape motifs throughout the case. The arched ho...
Brass
Thomas Whiteman Pembroke Mahogany Longcase Clock
Located in Astoria, NY
Thomas Whiteman Pembroke Mahogany Longcase Clock, early 19th century, painted dial with seconds, moon phase and calendar apertures, marked "Thomas Whiteman / Prembroke No..." to cloc...
Mahogany
Sold
H 30 in W 16 in D 5 in
Maitland Smith Mahogany Curio Golf Ball Display Wall Cabinet Case German Clock
Located in Dayton, OH
A rare Maitland Smith curio cabinet. Made from naturally distressed mahogany with glass front opening to four shelves with brass tee shaped pedestals intended to display golf balls. The crown of the clock showcases crossed golf clubs over a German made clock...
Brass
Sold
H 4.75 in W 5.375 in D 5.375 in
Vintage Brass Navigar Necesse Martime Nautical Ships Chronometer Box Clock
Located in Dayton, OH
Navigare Necesse Est Authentic Models desktop clock, (Amsterdam London Paris), fashioned after an original by the famous London instrument maker, John Po...
Brass
Scottish Allegorical Tall Mahogany Case Clock, c. 1830
Located in Astoria, NY
Scottish mahogany tall case clock, circa 1830, having painted spandrels featuring personifications of the continents Asia, America, Africa, and Europe, the arch painted with allegori...
Metal
Vintage Wall Clock
Located in Chicago, IL
Likely 19th century, British mechanism (still functional) brought to Burma during the colonial period. The face is missing. Hardwood frame.
Metal