Victorian Walnut Claw and Ball Framed Howard & Sons Sofa Professional Stripped

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Victorian Walnut Claw and Ball Framed Howard & Sons Sofa Professional Stripped

About the Item

We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning exceptionally rare original Victorian walnut framed claw and ball feet Howard & Son’s Berners Street stamped sofa with the original feather filled cushions and horse hair filling This sofa is exceptionally rare indeed, I've only ever seen one other with the Claw & Ball feet listed for sale in all my years and I buy and sell antique Howard's whenever they come up for sale. This and the matching armchair are the first Claw & Ball Howard & Son's I've ever owned, they were custom orders and significantly more expensive than the standard leg options. The sofa as you can see has been professionally stripped and is ready for upholstery, the frame retains all the original features, the horse hair padding, the feather filled cushions, the original coil springs, everything you would hope to find. I can have the sofa upholstered for the trade price in either of the three Howard Ticking fabric colours or the original Howard floral and striped upholstery, I can also have the timber washed back and French polished, for a quote please ask. I can also have the sofa upholstered in premium cattle hide leather and hand dyed a wonderful brown colour, again please ask for a price This sofa is a must have for any fine English furniture connoisseur, it screams country house style charm and charisma. The sofa seats as pretty much the most comfortable sofa I have ever sat on, the seat platform is exactly as you would hope to find which is to say it sinks a little from well over a century of use, the feathers in the cushions also naturally compress when you sit down, these "imperfections" make the sofa perfect to sit in, I have made the mistake before of restoring the perfect seat and it was totally ruined for me The inside back left leg is fully stamped with Howard & Son's Berner street, and then the serial number Howard & Son’s are simply put the finest chair makers in history, the Queen even has a private collection Dimensions: Height:- 88cm Width:- 184cm Depth:- 93cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point. A History of Howard and Sons The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought after names in Upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made its first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated its many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These adresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well established decorators Lenygon and Morant appear to take over the name with the business address being given as 31 Old Burlington St (Lenygon and Morants premesis since 1909). Lenygon and Morant later moved to South Audley St where from 1954 they advertised as 'Makers of Howard Chairs and Sofas'. In 1967 the owners of Lenygon and Morant open Howard Chairs Limited, the company operating from Lyme St continue to make high quality sofas and armchairs. Exhibitions and Important Houses: At the 1862 International Exhibition (The 3rd World Expo) Howard and Sons entered a suite of library furniture for which they won a prize. They also went on to exhibit at the Paris World's Fair, called an Exposition Universelle twice; once in 1878 and again in 1900. Also at the Exposition Internationale d'Anvers 1894 (International Exposition/World Fair Antwerp). Winning Prizes at them all including 1 silver and 2 golds. They also employed their eclectic styles working for many important clients providing furniture for important houses such as Sudbury Hall in Derbyshire, Elton Hall, Huntingdonshire and Stokesay Court, Shropshire. This item is available for collection from our Wimbledon warehouses SW19-3BE. Condition: Please view the very detailed pictures as they form part of the description around condition Please note vintage period and original items such as leather seating will always have natural patina in the form of cracking creasing and wear, we recommend regular waxing to ensure no moisture is lost, also hand dyed leather is not recommended to sit in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time as it will dry out and fade.

Creator:
Howard & Sons Ltd (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 34.65 in (88 cm)Width: 72.45 in (184 cm)Depth: 36.62 in (93 cm)
Style:
Victorian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Walnut,Hand-Crafted
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
19th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Minor losses. Minor fading.
Seller Location:
GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2823315179282

Shop All Howard & Sons Ltd

Howard & Sons Ltd

For more than two centuries, the name Howard & Sons Ltd has been synonymous with elegance and exceptional handcrafted quality. Their Victorian furnishings graced grand old hotels like The Savoy in London, British Royal residences and luxury yachts of the day, including American business tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt’s North Star.

Today, stately armchairs, sofas and rich, hand-carved serving tables from Howard & Sons continue to be a gold standard among the most discerning furniture collectors. Queen Elizabeth II is even said to have owned the world's most extensive collection of Howard & Sons chairs.

Howard & Sons Ltd was founded in 1820 on Leman street in London by cabinetmaker and upholsterer John Howard. Although he had three sons — George, Charles and Joseph — it was only George who later joined his father in running the family business. Before their upholstered armchairs and sofas garnered universal acclaim, Howard & Sons was a cabinetry company that collaborated with another well-known cabinetmaker, Gillows of Lancaster and London, on large projects and likely manufactured upholstered furniture for Gillows.

Howard & Sons Ltd showcased their pieces and won awards at several important exhibitions towards the end of the 19th century. They were given medals at the 1878 Paris Exhibition, the 1894 Antwerp Exhibition and the 1900 Paris Exposition. In 1901, they received their first Royal warrant to supply upholstered furniture to King Edward VII.

Howard & Sons Ltd continued production until 1947. During the 1950s, a London decorating firm called Lenygon & Morant began to trade under the Howard name. The company re-emerged in 1967 as Howard Chairs Ltd. Today, the brand is again known again as Howard & Sons and carries on the tradition of creating bespoke furniture from their London-based workshop.

On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Howard & Sons Ltd seating, case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other collectibles.