Relevant categories: Seating and Chairs,Tables,Bookcases
( Above Photo: Breakfront Bookcase in Satinwood - Regency Sheraton Painted Bookcases )
Period Regency furniture is one of the best you can purchase to add to your repository of antiques. It was made in the first three decades of the 19th century during the reign of the Prince Regent, who later became King George IV.
Furniture created during that period had distinctive characteristics, which mainly came due to the influence of the Prince Regent and the conquest of Egypt by Europeans. This article discusses the unique features that dominated period Regency furniture.
1. Key Design Elements
Furniture during the Regency period was mainly influenced by Louis IV style from France and elements from classical Greece and ancient Egypt. The main design elements included the use of brass and ormolu accents, mounts, ringed lion mask handles, pierced galleries, and casters.
( Above Photo: Carlton House Desk Regency Circa 1880 Satinwood )
2. Type of Wood
Regency furniture mostly features flame-grained mahogany timber. However, in some cases, the designers opted for zebra wood and rosewood. Ebony was mainly used for inlays. Where there was the need for darkened wood, the designers would simply have it ebonized.
With time, Regency furniture makers introduced delicate designs to replace the heavier, massive pieces. They also introduced light-colored wood such as maple, satinwood, and amboyna by the third decade of the 19th century.
2. Motifs and Shapes
During the Regency period, furniture makers borrowed design elements from the classical Greek, Romans, ancient Egypt, and China. Some of the elements that went into designing these furniture pieces include the following:
Besides, designers used maritime motifs such as dolphin-shaped feet. They also had Egyptian figures like the lotus leaf, bud, and flower; palm and papyrus; and the winged sun disc. Chair legs and arms had lion and ram paws and legs.
Handle back plates featured the star shape that emphasized furniture joints. Ornamentation for period Regency furniture involved the use of metal, reeding, or grooving lines. Inlays were created using ebony, satinwood, or boxwood.
( Above Photo: Tall Adams Gilt Pier Mirror - Regency Hall Mirrors )
3. Furniture Types
Many types of furniture were created during the Regency period. There were the usual chairs, tables, cabinets, and desks, albeit created smaller and more delicate. However, this period also saw the introduction of some furniture types that had not existed in the previous eras. The following are examples of the furniture types that emerged during the Regency period:
( Above Photo: Pair Regency Bookcases - Mahogany Open Front Sheraton Inlay )
Summary
Regency period furniture includes a cacophony of themes due to the many influences affecting furniture makers. Unlike the previous periods, Regency furniture was delicate and had scrolling shapes, smaller curves, and were created on a smaller scale.
The detailing of the furniture was mainly inspired by ancient Rome, Egypt, and Greece. There were also some influences from China. Furniture makers used flamboyant woods like mahogany, rosewood, and zebrawood. The furniture inlays were created using ebony and some metals. Other metallic elements included overlays and mounts.
There’s a wide selection of period Regency furniture to pick from, depending on your needs. Check out the furniture pieces in our showroom.
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