20th Century Racks and Stands

A calligraphic French Art Nouveau umbrella stand, made of cast iron enameled in a glossy oxblood red. Expressive loops and curls of the metal frame scroll with the fantastic exuberan...

Ignazio Gadella (1905-1999), Pair of brass doorstops edited by Azucena, Italy 1950s This is one of the rarest and most ironic versions of the famous series of door stops created by ...

Vintage SPQR Mid Century Italian Modern Birch and Brass Clothing Valet Chair with Drawer. Item features. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 42.5" ...

Standout vintage Anglo Indian blanket or display rack crafted in mahogany with a fly speck finish having two turned supports with carved fists at the top holding cross bars on turned...

Art Deco wardrobe chrome - 1940s This beautiful French wall coat rack from the 1940s is in the streamline modern Art Deco style. This style emphasized curvy streamlined shapes. This...

Beautiful and stylish vintage 1980s Italian brass floor coat hanger. A great piece that perfectly adds to every home decor the typical glitz, g...

A beautiful coat hanger designed by Piero Fornasetti and produced in the 1960s. Made of a wrought iron structure painted in an vibrant red, it can be distinguished by its blue opaline glass on top and high quality construction enriched with brass details. This cape stand is in very good condition with just some signs due to age and use on the original paint and some oxidation on the brass details. Great patina and opaline glass ball in pristine order. Dimensions: Base max 64cm - Height 206cm Literature: B. Fornasetti, by M. Casadio, ''Fornasetti l'artista alchimista, La bottega...

Late mid century brass gentlemen's valet / butler featuring paw foot tripod base, horizontal bar for pants, hangar shaped top for shirt/jacket, tray for accessories such as cuff links and tie bars, and cannonball finial on top. Height of hanging rod and accessory tray...

1773 Burnt bamboo hall rack with mirror/hat hooks and umbrell holder with copper pan

Orange plastic free standing coat rack with folding hooks & umbrella holders. Overall good condition: normal signs of wear and light scratches. One plastic breackage visible along th...

Mid-Century Pilastro style magazine rack with elegant black wire frame and teak handle. A functional and attractive free standing magazine rack that delivers style and elegance in th...

Five modular “Gronda” coat hanger wall mirrors with black plastic frame, designed by Luciano Bertoncini and manufactured by Elco in the 1970s. The upper parts of the modules can be p...

Polished bronco easel photo frame French style 20th century - Private Collection Domenico Rugiano

Modular coat rack/mirror Mod. 'Gronda' Designed by Luciano Bertoncini and produced by Elco in the 1970s. Set of 6 modules with a fixed mirror part and a movable one that can be press...

Set of five coat hangers in Murano glass with brass hooks by Venini. Produced in Italy in the 1940s.

An original French Art Deco hand-hammered iron hall tree complete with hat, coat and umbrella accommodations. The architectural and linear design depicts rose flowers with scroll des...

Giotto Stoppino "4675" Magazine Rack in black by Kartell, 1970s Crafted with premium-quality materials, this functional yet stylish magazine rack will add a touch of sophisticatio...

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...

Up to 13 identical postmodern wall-mounted brass hooks from the 1980s, model SE 314, designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1985 and crafted by Valli & Valli, Italy. These hooks are sold ind...

1920s English book rack. I’m actually not sure what this was used for. It has 5 holes drilled on the inside of it. Nice inlay, brass casters.

Black magazine rack with perforated metal by Mathieu Matégot France, 1950s.

Postmodern umbrella stand by Magis based on a design by Boccato, Gigante and Zambusi Architetti. Italian umbrella stand of red and gray. The round steel is painted gray and clamps i...

Iconic magazine rack by Giotto Stoppino for Kartell, model 4675 ( marked ) Italy 1970s in the most coveted color off-white. This magazine is rack is in a lovely vintage condition con...

Vintage industrial sausage rack, meat hooks, 4 hooks (also called dents de loup or wolf teeth), from a butcher's shop, first half of the 20th century, France. Lightweight but extrem...

This vintage wall-mounted hat and coat rack bursts with the bold spirit of Adirondack design, bringing the wild beauty of the great outdoors into your home. Crafted from naturally sh...

Industrial coat rack from Bauhaus factory built in 1920s. Original condition with losses on chrome. Cleaned, polished.

Vintage mid-20th Century black steel hall, coat or hat stand. Lovely age and charm. Solid and strong with no loose joints. Overall maximum dimensions: 50cm diameter x 200cm high....

A Maison Jansen style valet influenced by neoclassical themes with ram's head motif and produced in midcentury Italy. Consists of polished steel and accented in brass. The valet stan...

Mid-Century Modern magazine LP vinyl record storage cart designed by Rolf Hesland for Bruksbo, Norway. This piece features stunning Brazilian rosewood grains that showcase from any a...

Well made black mink hat designed and sold by I. Magnin & Company in the mid 1960's. The style, undoubtedly worn and made popular by Julie Christie in t...

Stunning and rare Art Deco Modernist coat rack. Striking Dutch design from the 1920s. Solid oak frame with original padouk elements. Five original padouk hooks. This wonderful Art De...

Elevate your space with this exquisite vintage Regency brass lyre music stand, a perfect blend of elegance and functionality. Crafted with an intricate lyre-shaped top and an ornate ...

Fabulous carved and paint decorated in the Arts & Crafts manner. Copper bottom with cutouts on all four sides. This item can be parcel posted. Feet to keep it elevated. In excellent ...

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...

Very nice Bauhaus style umbrella stand . Chrome frame . RVS steel Drip tray .

This ever so chic vintage Italian red lucite magazine rack or stand is 2 part with chrome dividers on the base. It is like a wave form. From t...

Vintage original Wolf 1956 dress form mannequin, New York. Well worn Benjamin model dress form mannequin in size 14 on a cast iron base with casters. The form is wrapped in linen an...

This antique walking stick or umbrella stand is unsigned, but presumed to have originated from England and date to approximately 1900 and done in the period Edwardian style. The stan...

Elegant women's handbag stand from the 50's, made in Italy. The bag stand is totally made in brass. Ideal to display necklaces, bracelets, scarves.... T...

Beautiful bauhaus style free standing coat rack with the functionality to welcome your guests with a great place for storing coats in a hall. The Bauhaus style offers a sleek chrome finish over a tube frame with six chrome hooks...

Charming Dutch Arts & Crafts, Folk Art chip carved coat rack with gorgeous original brass hooks from the 1920s Richly decorated and fully hand carved on all sides with exquisite cr...

Mid-century modern Trompe l'oeil gilt metal umbrella stand or waste basket produced by Li Puma Florence. The Hollywood regency stand features a gilt geometric lattice round form deco...

Enhance your hallway decor with the elegant and functional Emile Gallé hallway tree coat rack. Featuring exquisite craftsmanship and a timeless design. the coat rack comes with its ...

Butler made of fine wood with brass details. Made in Italy in the 1950s. Unique piece of rare difficult beauty. Made and created by Mice of Domenico Rugiano.

Cast brass made in Austria, circa 1900 Up to six available, price per piece.

🌟 Introducing the Perfect Blend of Style and Functionality! 🌟 Elevate your living space with our Beautiful Mid-Century Modern Magazine Rack that doubles as a sophisticated Side Ta...

A set of three brass coat hangers designed and produced in Italy, c. 1950s. Dimensions: 4.875” H x 4” W x 2.625” D

Häpen wire steel valet by Ehlén Johansson for Ikea, 1980s.

Wall mounted slatted teak coat rack with upper slat shelf, black enameled metal frame and little movable black metal hooks with a small perforated hook-on key tray. Beautiful storage...

A pair of brass coat hangers designed and produced in Italy, 1940s

Postmodern design towel holder from the French manufacturer Decotec. Filigree towel holder of heavy quality. A postmodern eye -catcher for bathroom, bedroom or kitchen in chrome and ...

Italian floor to ceiling coat rack / Claustra - 1960s Dimensions D: 10 cm ( 3.94") H: 321 cm (126.38") W: 105 cm (41.34") The height is va...

Art Deco wardrobe chrome - 1930s This beautiful French wall coat rack from the 1930s is in the streamline modern Art Deco style. This style emphasized curvy streamlined shapes. This...

Elevate your wardrobe and decor with this exquisite pair of modernist metal coat hangers, hailing from the 1940s. These timeless pieces have aged gracefully, showcasing a beautiful p...

Art Deco umbrella stand, circa 1930s Original condition.

Ahrend De Cirkel standing coat rack with umbrella holder and heavy black weighted base. Flat hooks for coats and hats. Stylish and industrial design with rotating top and lower chrom...

This unique woven rattan frog-shaped basket serves as a charming magazine holder, bringing a playful touch of whimsy to any space. Crafted with intricate wickerwork, this frog design...

A set of three brass coat hangers designed and produced in Italy, c. 1950s. Dimensions: 6” H x 5.5” W x 2.125” D