Country French furnishings and accessories are loaded with style, zip and beautiful design. Because they're more plentiful than English and American equivalents, they're also less expensive. Antiques expert David Lindquist shows examples of this enduring style. A beautiful big lolling chair, made in the late 1800s in the style of 1720, has brisk hand carvings of wonderful depth and detail. Covered with lovely old needlepoint and petit-point fabric, it's now worth about $5,000 (figure A). The graceful arms, undulating curves and old untouched color of a lovely ladder-back chair give it warmth and charm. A peasant chair, sturdy and functional, it shows the wonderful patina of years of use (figure B). A buffet in the directoire style, made at the end of the 18th century, exhibits neoclassical carvings of cornucopias spilling forth fruit and flowers (figure C). The neoclassical styling was influenced by classical pieces excavated at Pompeii during the mid-18th century. The French love of color and curves is evident in a tureen of rococo design. Made of faience, a tin-glazed pottery, in a butterfly pattern called papillon, the tureen features elaborate ornamentation that reflects its rococo styling (figure D). Transfer-print plates depicting various fables are also favorite pieces of antique French faience.
RESOURCES :
Lindquist, David - Whitehall at the Villa Antiques
English and Continental Furniture With Prices
Model: 0870696629
Author: David Lindquist
Out of Print
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