British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
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 19th Century British Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass, Iron
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Metal
Early 18th Century European Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Iron
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass, Iron
1920s English Vintage British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Leather
Early 1900s British Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Faux Leather
Early 20th Century Indian British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Crocodile, Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Wood
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century American British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Leather, Fabric
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass
1860s British Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Hardwood
17th Century Spanish Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Iron
1970s French Vintage British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Late 18th Century Italian Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Metal, Wrought Iron
19th Century Swedish Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Wood
1860s American Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Pine
1890s Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Tin
19th Century English Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Iron
Late 20th Century British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass
19th Century British Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Other
Mid-19th Century Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass
1940s English Vintage British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Leather
Mid-20th Century British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Mahogany, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century French British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass, Sheet Metal
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Teak
Early 20th Century British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Brass
Early 20th Century British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Leather
19th Century Indian Antique British Colonial Trunks and Luggage
Iron