Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1800s.
The frame carved with scrolls, leaves and palmettes, features an attractive foliate carved back rail with wonderful scroll ends and an elegant moulded frieze.
Decorative carved cartouches can be seen at the top of the turned and fluted legs that terminate in elegant brass cap castors.
The couch has been newly upholstered in a patterned burgundy fabric with squab and bolster cushions
Will look stunning wherever you decide to place it.
Condition:
In really excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned waxed and reupholstered in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation.
Dimensions in cm:
Height 108 cm x Width 227 cm x Depth 68 cm
Dimensions in inches:
Height 3 foot, 6 inches x Width 7 foot, 5 inches x Depth 2 foot, 3 inches
This sofa is very similar to a design by John Taylor, the Covent Garden upholsterer who had formerly served as an 'artist' in the 'Elegant Furniture Warehouse' established in New Bond Street by George Oakley (d. 1840). Taylor's 'Dress Sofa' pattern was published in the February 1821 edition of R. Ackermann's, ‘The Repository of Arts.’
William IV - the brief reign of William IV (1830 – 1837) marked a period of transition between the Regency period (which had been an age of innovation based on revivalist styles such as ancient Egypt, and the Grecian designs) and the Victorian era.
William IV furniture is similar in style to Regency furniture with many of the designs from the Regency period being copied but often executed in a much heavier manner with chairs, tables and other items being coarser and clumsier in appearance when compared with those made during the Regency period.
Popular pieces produced during this period include tilt top dining tables and pillared extendable tables. Sofa tables and drum tables were also favoured at the time as were sideboards and card tables. Heavy brass fittings were a prominent feature such as lion’s paw feet on tables. Chairs frequently sported sabre legs to the back with stumpy bulbous turned legs to the front. The rope twist carved back was also much in favour.
This period also saw the introduction of the more exotic timbers such as zebra wood. With the Industrial Revolution getting under way furniture making saw the increased use of mechanisation a trend set to accelerate during the Victorian period.
This short, but important transitional period eventually gave way to the romanticism of the Victorians but the furniture it produced was usually of good quality and it remains sought after and desirable today.
Mahogany
is probably one of the largest ‘families’ of hardwood, having many different varieties within its own species.
Mahogany has been used for centuries in ship building, house building, furniture making etc and is the core structure of just about every 19th century vanity box, dressing case or jewellery box. It became more of a Victorian trend to dress Mahogany with these decorative veneers, such as King wood, Burr Walnut and Coromandel, so that the actual Mahogany was almost hidden from view.
Mahogany itself is a rich reddish brown wood that can range from being plain in appearance to something that is so vibrant, figured and almost three dimensional in effect.
Although Mahogany was most often used in its solid form, it also provided some beautifully figured varieties of veneer like ‘Flame’ Mahogany and ‘Fiddleback’ Mahogany (named after its preferred use in the manufacture of fine musical instruments).
Cuban Mahogany was so sought after, that by the late 1850's, this particular variety became all but extinct.
Regent Antiques has dated this piece to the 1800s.
We specialise in english and continental furniture, silver, porcelain and decorative items.
You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Regent Antiques Profile Page
Regent Antiques is a registered member of LAPADA CINOA
Antique William IV Sofa Design by John Taylor C1830 19th Century
