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Talking Antiques: Victorian-era furniture's beauty assures its continued popularity
Saturday, September 09, 2000 By Vivian Highberg and Erica Highberg
Antiques and history are intertwined. So, to understand Victorian furniture styles, you must know a little about the Victorian period.
Queen Victoria reigned from 1837 to 1901, a period now known as the Victorian Era. During her lifetime, Victoria had a pervasive, worldwide influence in lifestyles, fashion, art, jewelry, customs, furniture, philosophy, architecture, traditions, trends, customs and social mores. Even the way the Victorians drank tea required its own special presentation. Many upscale hotels offer afternoon tea modeled after this English tradition.
Victorian furniture and accessories still command a large following in today's antique market. As recorded in the pages of the decade-old Victoria magazine and others, styles of this period are still popular because of the elegance, gentility and beauty they bring into our lives.
During the Victorian period, several American furniture styles paralleled what was happening in England and on the Continent. The major categories in the United States were early Victorian (1840-1860), represented by Gothic, Rococo, Elizabethan Revival or Cottage furniture, and mid- to late Victorian styles, including Renaissance Revival, Aesthetic Movement, Louis XVI Revival, Moorish and Eastlake.
Of all those styles, Renaissance Revival perhaps best captures the essence of Victoriana. Its opulence and massiveness typify this period as does its most common wood, a dark-stained walnut.
At London's Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1851, many exhibitors displayed Renaissance Revival furniture. It reached its zenith in popularity during the 1860s and 1870s but remained in favor into the 20th century.
The French word "renaissance" means "rebirth." In Europe, this rebirth ushered in the revival of ideas of ancient Greece and Rome in philosophy, literature, learning, furniture and other decorative arts.
In contrast to the flowing lines of Rococo design, Renaissance Revival had an angular appearance. In identifying this style, look for elaborate ornamentation, large size, marquetry (small inlaid pieces of wood veneer decoration), porcelain inserts and marble surfaces.
Favorite motifs and symbols were hunting hounds, fruits and vegetables, trophies of dead fish and fowl, and portrait medallions. A subdivision of this revival style and influential were Egyptian and NeoGreco designs.
There is a vast array of antiques stores in the Pittsburgh area carrying occasional Renaissance Revival pieces. One that specializes in Victorian decoration and this style in particular is The Cottage Antiques in Blawnox.
Among the items they have are a rosewood sideboard priced at $4,700, walnut server for $7,500, armoire for $8,300 and burled walnut cabinet at $7,800. They also carry several marble- top tables in this style at varying prices.
The world of antiques is a very exciting place and the Victorian Era is most interesting and vibrant area which to explore. Along with houses from this period, furniture and other items are both history we can touch and a reflection of how we once lived.
Vivian Highberg is a certified antique appraiser and owner of Hilding & Larson Emporium and Appraisals in Mt. Lebanon. Erica Highberg, her daughter, is a free-lance writer and associate at Hilding & Larson.
Talking Antiques is an occasional column about antiques and their value. If you would like to know more about your antiques, send a description and photos of the items to Talking Antiques, c/o Kevin Kirkland, Homes editor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222. Due to volume of mail, personal replies cannot be provided.
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