18th Century and Earlier Furniture

An exceptional, fine and impressive set of twelve antique Georgian sterling silver Hanoverian pattern table forks; an addition to our Georgian flatware collections. These exceptional antique Georgian straight* sterling silver forks have been crafted in the Hanoverian pattern with three tines. The posterior surface of each antique silver fork handle terminal incorporates the bright cut engraved crest of out of a coronet a griffin's head, all above the monogram initial 'W'. The anterior surface of each 18th century fork is plain with a pip to the handle terminal. Such straight examples of antique silver forks with clearly struck hallmarks are becoming increasingly difficult to locate. * 'Straight' means all the pieces are made by the same maker in the same year. Condition These antique sterling silver forks are an excellent gauge of silver, excellent quality and in excellent condition. Full hallmarks struck to the reverse of each handle stem are all very clear. Reflections in photographs may detract from the true representation of this piece of Georgian silver flatware...

18th Century pair armchairs after Giles Grendey with pierced splat back, stylised shell motif and scrolled armrests with relief carved decoration. The upholstered seats rest above ca...

VANADINITE ON BARITE Mibladen, Aït Oufella Caïdat, Midelt Cercle, Midelt Province, Drâa-Tafilalet Region, Morocco 12.7 cm tall x 14 cm wide The Drâa-Tafilalet Region of Morocco, best...

Late 18th Century Sheraton crossbanded demi-lune card table with foliate and floral inlay to the top, and box inlay detail to the side panelling. The table opens to reveal a green ba...

A fine and rare mid-17th century ebony veneered architectural table cabinet of diminutive proportions, circa 1640. Augsuerg. The moulded ebony veneered cabinet is surmounted with a...

LIDDICOATITE TOURMALINE WITH QUARTZ Anjanbonoina, Antananarivo Prov., Madagascar 7.1 cm tall x 6.8 cm wide Liddicoatite is an uncommon form of tourmaline. It was first discovered in ...

An extremely rare 17th-century early Charles II carved oak child's coffer of diminutive proportions. The lift-up lid opens on the originbal hinges. The frieze is crisply carved wi...

18th Century Georgian mahogany drop leaf table with simple pad feet and opening out to circular shape.

A fine late 17th-century olive oyster 'Lace Box' of small proportions, circa 1680-1690, England. The cross-grain moulded and holly banded top is finely veneered in hand-cut veneers ...

A pair of monumental limestone sphinxes of Pharaoh Nectanebo I, from the processional avenue of the Serapeum of Memphis, 30th Dynasty, circa 379 - 360 BC. The sphinxes of the Serapeum have captivated travellers since Roman times. However, despite their significance, they are conspicuously absent from the collections of most major museums. Indeed, their existence in private hands is so improbable, and their imitations so numerous, that the present sphinxes were assumed to be modern copies throughout their recent ownership history. Finally recognised and conserved after an extraordinary chance discovery at a garden furniture sale...

An Important George III mahogany spider-leg table attributed to Thomas Chippendale 1768. England The tulip banded rectangular mahogany drop-leaf top with gateleg action, on a straig...

Museum Grade George I Cocus Wood Card Table (Partridge). - English Circa 1725. The folding top with outset rounded corners and banded in quarter veneered parquetry top above a shape...

18th Century gilt overmantel mirror with central stylised pagoda decoration. The three panels are separated by simple gilt beaded bar details and surrounded by an ornate gilt wooden ...

A set of 4 Antique Queen Anne Silver Salts. The early 18th Century Salts are in a classic round trencher shape and each has a small crest of a bird engraved on the side. Made in Lon...

A beautiful Antique George II Scottish Silver Teapot in a classic round bullet shape. This Georgian Teapot is decorated with an lovely engraved design of floral and scroll patterns surrounding a pair of cartouches. Made in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1748 by James Mitchell. Approx. Weight - 724g / 23.28oz Approx.Length - 23.5cm Approx. Width - 12.3cm Approx. Height - 15cm This Teapot has full Scottish Hallmarks. This George II Teapot...

A traditional Antique George I Britannia Silver Bleeding Bowl with a bellied round body and an impressive pierced handle. The Handle is engraved with the initials MG. Made in London...

A Fine George III Chippendale Mahogany Dumb Waiter, Circa 1760. England. In the manner of Thomas Chippendale The graduated and revolving tiers with fluted and beaded mouldings, th...

George III Period Mahogany Desk two drawer resting on on square tapered legs castors and the top inset with gold-tooled red leather. England: circa 1790

Chinese Export Porcelain Underglaze Blue Botanical Circular Dish, Circa 1775 This Chinese Export circular dish exemplifies the underglaze blue and white technique popular during the...

Exceptional, rare and unusually large pair of late Gustavian gilt wood mirrors with gouaches in neoclassical Pompeian style and faux porphyry marble mirror frame. Stockholm, ca 1790.

This is an 18th-century Dutch Delft pancake plate hand painted circa 1780. The artist used the polychrome colors moss green, red, blue, and manganese brown to create a lovely paintin...

A pair of Antique George III Sterling Silver Salves each with a shaped shell border and with a crest engraved on the centre. Each Georgian Salver stands on 2 hoof feet. Made in Lond...

A Fine and Rare George III Chinoiserie Cabinet on Stand, Circa 1760. A rare George III cabinet on stand in the Chinese Chippendale manner,...

Sterling silver, George III Period, hoof-footed salver, London, England, year-hallmarked for 1765, Ebenezer Coker - maker. Scroll and shell designed border. Measures almost 6 3/4 in...

Charming 19th century Swedish trestle table with a great patina. Easily seats six people, eight if you squeeze ;) Ca 1780.

England circa 1790 Ornate molding and carving on drawers, with brass hardware and ball feet. 42.5”w x 22”d x 45”h

GEORGE II WALNUT DROP-LEAF TABLE England, ca. 1750 Item # 402GKT08P The rich patina was the first thing that caught our attention with this table - the very old historic surface is ...

Chinese Export Porcelain Immortal Figures Mounted on the Back of Animals, Circa 1780 The rare Chinese Export porcelain figures depict two immortals riding on the backs of a mythical...

A pair of Antique George III Sterling Silver& Wood Wine Bottle Coasters. These straight sided 18th Century Wine Coasters are decorated with a lovely pierced and engraved pattern repe...

Fine set of six 18th century Swedish Rococo chairs in their raw wood finish with nice patination. ca 1770 Sweden

Chinese Export Porcelain Famille Rose Plates Painted with Flower Baskets, Yongzheng (1723-1735) The pair of Chinese Export Yongzheng period "Rose-Verte" porcelain plates depict an o...

This beautiful and thick casted antique fireback is displaying Gabriel the angel congratulating Maria with the birth of Jesus Christ. It all takes place under the star of Bethlehem while being watched from the side by a mule or and ox. Great original condition, very deep casting some minor fading from the years of use. Can be placed in a real fire used as a backsplash or it can be hung as a piece of biblical art...

This lovely 18th century Delft jar was made in the factory of De Bloempot in Delft, The Netherlands, circa 1780. The design features a gentleman with a top hat and a walking stick standing at the side of a river. He looks across at the buildings of a Dutch village. Above and below, the scene is framed by two large molded flowers. The cover has a traditional Dutch Delft bird...

A magnificent Pair Antique Georgian Silver Candlesticks. This impressive pair of George II Candlesticks has a classic Corinthian style sconce on top of a fluted column. The Candlesti...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Georgian English sterling silver locking tea caddy; an addition to our silver teaware collection. This exceptional antique George III ste...

Anonymous Kano school artist 17th century "Karako Asobi: Chinese Children at Play" A two-panel Japanese Furosaki screen. Ink, pigment, gofun and gold-leaf on paper. This small Japanese Karako folding screen vividly depicts various games played by children wearing wearing elaborate Chinese T'ang dynasty costumes. They are dressed in plumed and tasseled hats, ornate jackets, baggy pants, and cloth slippers typical of T'ang period Chinese court dress. The children are depicted pulling a younger child along in a cart, carrying another child as if an important official, riding a wooden horse, leading a puppy and carrying a tethered bird. Executed in fine-quality pigments on gold leaf, the detail, variety and size of the figures is noteworthy. Also notable is the size of this screen itself, which denotes it as a Furosaki screen. A Furosaki screen is part of the equipment used for the Japanese tea-ceremony. It is traditionally placed on tatami mats behind the brazier highlighting the utensils and providing a focal point. Karako is a Japanese term used in art with the depiction of Chinese children playing...

Very good early 18th Century English oak lidded box in the form of a chest of drawers, the hinged top over a configuration of false drawers having half round molded dividers with ori...

Painted in the center with a vase filled with a lush bouquet of flowers. The border is painted with six foliate scroll panels, each with a vase filled with fruits alternated by blue ...

Hallmarked in Sheffield in 1790 by John Parsons & Co., this handsome pair of George III period, Antique Sterling Silver Candlesticks, are in the neoclassical style, with bright cut e...

Chest of Drawers on Stand England circa 1760 Constructed in oak, with geometric carved details, original brass pulls, on turned leg stand. 45.75”w x 25”d x 51.5”h

Stately in perfect proportion, this design is an elegant execution of form and function. Very unassuming in appearance yet every bit as formal as our other patterns, Craftsman’s unadorned surface displays the magnificence of high quality sterling silver to its fullest. Craftsman by Towle...

Fine 18th century Swedish late Baroque cabinet in Its original finish with traces of newer historical colours. Ca 1750 Sweden. Originally beige/yellow, then painted red and finally...

18th century George III mahogany wash or wig stand, the moulded top of circular form with porcelain bowl raised over three curved supports above moulded shelf of triangular form with two drawers with ornate pulls...

Mochizuki Hanzan (1743-90?) Edo Period, 18th century Decorated with inlaid colored ceramic with a stag and maple leaves Height: 8.4 cm Sealed Hanzan Mochizuki Hanzan (1743-90?...

An English George II period provincial oak lowboy or dressing table of typical form, the overhanging top with a molded edge above 3 fitted drawers over a shaped apron. The piece is s...

Hallmarked in London in 1775 by Walter Brind, this charming, George III period, Antique, Sterling Silver Tea Caddy, is cylindrical in shape, with wonderful engraved decoration to the...

Beautifully decorated antique fireback or "ofenplatte". This used to be one of the sides of an antique stove made from several decorated firebacks. B...

Exceptionally Fine Wooden Sarcophagus Mask Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, circa 1069-945 BC. Acacia wood, rosewood, hippopotamus ivory Masterfully carved from a single piece of fine-grained hardwood, the present mask is characteristic of the most exquisite funerary art made during the 21st Dynasty, and was probably commissioned for a particularly high-ranking individual. The oval face displays a gently smiling mouth with full, outlined lips, furrows at the corners and a bow-shaped philtrum. The straight nose with rounded nostrils, the cheeks full and fleshy and the large, almond shaped eyes with heavy lids and tapering cosmetic lines, set below long, sweeping eyebrows. Social collapse across the Mediterranean in the Late Bronze Age meant that the 21st Dynasty in Egypt was a period of great turmoil. Trade routes were disrupted, governments collapsed, and mass migration occurred. Economic scarcity meant that traditional funerary practices in Egypt were also affected, with a lack of material and financial resources leading to the reuse of preexisting material. As a result, during the 21st Dynasty, 19th and 20th Dynasty coffins changed ownership rapidly and were heavily recycled for new purposes. Tombs were also unmarked allowing them to be shared by many people. These new practices brought forth a shift in the understanding of funerary paraphernalia. No longer important objects owned forever by the deceased, they were now simply seen as short-term transformative devices, whose symbolic and ritualistic meaning could be appropriated for others. However, paradoxically, the art of coffin-making also reached new heights during this period, and many of the richly dec- orated “yellow” coffins, characteristic of the 21st Dynasty, are remarkable works of art in their own right. Indeed, knowing that coffins were being reused throughout Egypt, the Egyptian élite set themself apart by commissioning lavish sarcophagi decorated with the images and texts meant to help guide them to the afterlife, and which would otherwise have adorned the tomb walls. As coffins were the chief funerary element which now identified the dead and allowed them a physical presence in the world of the living, their quality and appearance were of the utmost importance. The traditional coffin ensemble was made of three parts: a wooden mummy cover, which laid directly atop the mummy, an inner coffin, and an outer coffin, both made of a lid and case. Additional decorative elements, such as masks, were carved out separately and later glued or pegged to the lids. After the completion of the painted decoration, the sarcophagus was covered in a varnish to give it its yellow colour. Gilding was sometimes used for the coffins of the high priests’ families, notably on parts representing naked skin, such as the face mask. However, some of the élite tactically avoided gilding altogether as to ensure that their coffin would not be looted. When manufacturing the inner and outer coffins, particular attention was paid to the woodwork. Displaying the skill of the carpenter, this type of funerary art has largely remained unparalleled throughout Egyptian history. The principal wood used to craft the present mask is Acacia nilotica. The evergreen Egyptian acacia was considered sacred and said to be the tree of life, the birthplace of the god Horus, as well as symbolic of Osiris, the god of the dead and resurrection. The modelling of the face in the wood is superb, but the inlays also help mark this mask out as exceptional. Inlaid eyes and eyebrows were extremely rare and reserved to the finest and most expensive coffins. Traditionally, eyes were made of calcite, obsidian, or quartz, and eyebrows of coloured glass paste or bronze. Here, the pupils, eyebrows, and cosmetic lines are inlaid with Dalbergia melanoxylon, a rare type of wood which belongs to the rosewood genus. In antiquity, however, it was known as Ebony of the Pharaohs, from the Egyptian word “hbny”, meaning dark timber, because of its black, lustrous appearance. An extremely dense and hard wood requiring significant skill to work with, ebony was a luxury material highly coveted by the pharaohs themselves, to make furniture, decorative and funerary objects. The wood was imported with great effort from the southern Land of Punt, most likely modern Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea, alongside other luxury goods such as gold and ivory. A magnificent ebony throne, recovered in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, illustrates the incredible aesthetic potential of this material and why it was so highly valued by Egyptian royalty. Only élite members of Egyptian society could have afford- ed Ebony of the Pharaoh inlays for their funerary mask. The sclerae on the present piece were once both inlaid with hippopotamus ivory. Whiter than elephant ivory, this type of ivory is also denser, and more difficult to carve. The use of this luxury material, reputed for its gleaming appearance, enhances the lifelikeness of the eyes. For the Egyptians, hippopotamus ivory was imbued with magic powers. The hippopotamus was indeed both feared and venerated due to its aggressive behaviour. Whilst the male hippopotamus was associated with danger and chaos, the female was benevolent and invoked for protection, especially of the house and of mothers and their children, through the hippopotamus goddess Tawaret. Thus, not only was hippopotamus ivory used as an inlay and to make practical objects, such as combs and clappers, but it was also used to make talismans like apotropaic wands or knives. Made during a time of scarcity where few could afford made-to-order coffins, the present mask could have only belonged to one of the highest-ranking individuals in society. Undoubtedly one of the finest Egyptian coffin...

An elegant and rare Queen Anne period marquetry inlaid walnut cabinet-on-chest in two parts, the upper section with cabinet doors opening to reveal three adjustable shelves, the base...

18th Century Georgian Mahogany Oval Drop-Leaf Table. The two ends lift up and are supported by solid mahogany gate legs to create a good-sized oval shape table...

Rare, 18th century, Continental Silver (.800) Wager/Marriage Cup, Augsburg, 1781-1783, Christian Drentwert II - maker. The figure is of a woman, arms raised, holding up a cup on a sw...

South Arabian Alabaster Inscription Calcite Alabaster circa 1st century A.D. ‘’Consequently, neither white marble of Paros nor any other stone which men admire can be compared with the precious stones of Arabia, since their whiteness is most brilliant, their weight the heaviest, and their smoothness leaves no room for other stones to surpass them.’’ - Diodorus Siculus, Library of History, Book II, 52.9 This inscription, finely worked on an alabaster tablet, is a remarkably well preserved example of Ancient South Arabian script, with its distinct bold, angular forms, written in the Qatabanic dialect - that is, the dialect spoken by the people of the kingdom of Qataban, which ruled much of modern day Yemen from the 7th Century B.C. to the 2nd Century A.D. The text, which reads: ‘[... ...]sa?d and Ma?add?i- / (of the lineage) of Hawfa- / She entrusted Anb- / against any malfeasance (which would remove it) from its place’ - indicates that it likely served to commemorate a temple offering. The quality of the script, incised so neatly into the surface of the alabaster, tells us that this piece was commissioned by somebody of considerable wealth and prestige, employing a scribe of equally considerable expertise. South Arabia was known throughout the ancient world for its incredible wealth - so much so that the Romans termed the region ‘Arabia Felix’ - literally, ‘Happy, or Fortunate, Arabia.’ That wealth was built largely on the trade of spices and incense, in which the Kingdom of Qataban played a major part. According to Pliny the Elder, this was the sole country through which frankincense could be exported, first being collected in the city of Shabwa, on the South Arabian coast, and from there travelling by camel up to Gaza, to be shipped all across the Mediterranean - not only that, but all growers of myrrh across Arabia were required to give a quarter of their yield to the king of the Qatabanians. As such, the kingdom became exceedingly rich and powerful, and Pliny goes on to tell us that ‘The nations of the Larendani and the Catabani, and the Gebanitæ [...] occupy a great number of towns, the largest of which are Nagia, and Thomna (the capital of Qataban) with sixty-five temples, a number which fully bespeaks its size.’ Because of the nature of its exports, frankincense in particular - the ‘sweat of of the gods’ according to the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and perhaps most famous as one of the three gifts brought to the newborn Christ - being closely associated with the divine, South Arabia’s reputation in antiquity was as a mysterious, almost sacred, and - crucially - extraordinarily wealthy region, at the very edge of the known world; in the words of Herodotus: ‘’Enough of marvels, and yet the land of Arabia gives off a scent as sweet as if divine.’’ This inscription invokes the protection of god Anbay, the judge-oracle of the chief god ‘Amm, who he served as an attendant. Much of what we know of the religious life of the ancient South Arabians comes to us from early Islamic texts, describing what is known in Islamic scholarship as ‘Jahiliyyah’ - the age before the advent of Islam in Arabia. What comes across in much of these texts is that these religious practices placed a great deal of emphasis on sacred stones, perhaps linked to the brilliance of the alabaster which is local to the region, and which a great many of the cult-objects produced in this time are made from. Hisham ibn-Al-Kalbi’s Book of Idols records: ‘’The Arabs were passionately fond of worshipping idols [...] Whenever a traveller stopped at a place or station in order to rest or spend the night, he would select for himself four stones, pick out the finest among them and adopt it as his god, and use the remaining three as supports for his cooking-pot.’’ This inscription was once in the collection of the intrepid British-Australian travel...

The handmade crystals adorning this magnificent Louis XVI chandelier are of unparalleled quality. Each crystal is a testament to the skill of the artisans who painstakingly shaped an...

This blue and white Delft charger was hand painted in the Netherlands in the 18th century, circa 1780. The decoration features a traditional Dutch Delft design of scrolling vines and...

Incredible hand-painted scenes inspired by Rococo master Antoine Watteau cover this magnificent Meissen porcelain box. Displaying romantic courts...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique George II Scottish sterling silver teapot; an addition to our Georgian silver teaware collection This exceptional antique Georgian sterling silver teapot has an globular bullet-shaped onto a cast circular spreading foot. The surface of this silver teapot is embellished with flat engraved foliate and floral decoration to the upper portion. The body of the teapot incorporates the engraved crest of on a mount, a centaur with a bow and arrow, all above the motto 'Ut Quocunque Paratus' - As prepared for whatever may happen*. This antique 18th century silver teapot...

An English Hepplewhite period inlaid mahogany demilune flip-top games table with a satinwood inlaid and crossbanded top and apron, the interior with a felt lining, supported on squar...

17th century Dutch wrought iron fireplace basket. Great looking and very decorative piece, tremendous craftsmanship and detailed decoration. Great original and usable condition, wo...