How many brackets come up each year?

About 26 come to market on Sellingantiques in a year, so the category turns over slowly. Spread across 122 different dealers who have listed one, that means most dealers who handle brackets do so only once or twice. They arrive as odd finds rather than regular stock.

What wood are they usually made from?

Oak leads, with mahogany next and walnut behind that. Rosewood, limewood, pine and fruitwood turn up in samples. Beyond the common woods the archive holds olive wood, ebony and padouk. Materials also run well past timber altogether: terracotta, parian, porcelain, majolica, stoneware, plaster, papier mâché and cast iron all appear.

Why are so many sold in pairs?

Brackets were made to flank something, a mirror, a door, a chimneypiece, so they left the workshop in twos. The matched pair is the commonest single object in the category. Sets of three, four and five also show up, including papier mâché sets, curtain rail brackets and heavy cast-iron shelf brackets.

What is the oldest bracket in the archive?

Chinese carved wooden corbels dated before 1700 are the oldest thing recorded, and also the top of the range. Behind them sit 17th century oak wall brackets and corbels and a pair of 16th century oak building brackets. The dated field itself starts at 1750, with a set of carved capitals.

Are gilded brackets a separate group?

They make up about a fifth of the category. Gilt, giltwood and gilt wood together account for some 50 titles. Within that group you'll find gilded gesso, parcel-gilt, silver gilt and Florentine gilt, and rococo turns up as a descriptor in eight titles.

Do curtain-pole and sign brackets count here?

Yes. The heading takes in any bracket-shaped fitting, so curtain-pole and curtain rail brackets, bell brackets, sign brackets and cast-iron sink and shelf supports all sit under it. Brass and wrought iron both appear. Occasionally something stranger lands in the category: a pawnbroker's trade sign, an apothecary's pestle-and-mortar sign, a diner gong, a plate rack, a miniature chest of drawers.

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Antique Brackets

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A bracket is a small support fixed to a wall to carry a clock, bust, vase, lamp or ornament, and the heading also covers the architectural corbels and capitals dealers list beside them.