Relevant categories: Dining Tables,Seating and Chairs,Dining Chairs
(Above photo - William IV Dining Chairs Mahogany Antiques ) Looking for a genuine set of William IV chairs from the 1830s? You will certainly find the right furniture pieces if you know what to look for. The 1830s saw the revival of the gothic and Rococo styles across the world. While some people call it Victorian furniture, it should be called William IV if it was made anywhere between 1830 and 1837. Most likely, you will go looking for these pieces of furniture in an auction. What are the unique characteristics you should focus on? This is not rocket science. Neither does it require a professional to do it correctly. In order to identify genuine William IV chairs, the following are the characteristics to look at.
1. Motifs or Emblems
(Above photo - Set Antique Mahogany Chairs - William IV Dining )
Genuine William IV chairs are likely to have emblems or motifs carved into them. Some of the most common images include those of crowns, laurel leaves, torches, lions, trophies, and mythological creatures. The legs were curved to show head features such as lion paws, clubs, and spades. All of these were borrowed by William IV furniture makers from the Chippendale era.
2. Hardware
Antique chairs and other furniture pieces featured certain types of hardware. The specific hardware would depend on when and where the furniture was made. William IV dining chairs were made in England from 1830 to 1837. Thus, you should expect them to have some elements of brass and bronze. Since there was an attempt to revive the Gothic and Rococo styles, it is also possible that they will have a guild for decoration.
3. The Feet
(Above photo - William IV Dining Chairs - Antique Mahogany Set ) One thing that differentiates antique furniture with precision is the feet. In that case, you should consider the shape and decoration of the feet. For William IV dining chairs, the feet will definitely be square in shape. It is not very different from what you would get from Chippendale chairs, which were popular during that period. The legs on furniture pieces at that time were also known as Marlborough feet. That’s because they were on Marlborough legs, which stood straight. Some of them had lion paw carvings.
4. The Legs
(Above photo - Victorian Dining Set Mahogany Table William IV Chairs )
Another thing that William IV dining chairs borrow greatly from their Chippendale counterparts is cabriole legs. But how do you know you have a cabriole leg before you? It should have knees that curve outwards and ankles that curve inwards. At the end of the legs, there were feet with lion paw carvings. However, take note of the fact that only a few furniture pieces from this period survive. Many of those that feature this style were mass-produced in later years. That’s why you should look for other features to be sure that you are buying the genuine thing.
5. The Back
The best way to know a genuine William IV dining chair is to look at the back. It should be intricate in nature and should feature English, Chinese or Greek classic styles. As such, the backs had delicate or bold carvings. Those without carved backs had some ballooning features meant to provide greater comfort to their users.
Of course, you will find the right William IV dining chair if you look carefully. Once you do, take good care of it. you need to keep it with you for a long time to come.
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