Monthly Archives: April 2017
Picture This CVII
Harlequin tables initially enjoyed popularity from the second quarter of the eighteenth-century. Several examples are known to have been made by John Channon and Thomas Potter – both esteemed London cabinetmakers. The tables’ tri-fold tops (fig. 1) successively open to … Continue reading
Easter Fare
Although they have been on sale in most of the major supermarkets since Boxing Day, cross buns were traditionally eaten on Good Friday. In the eighteenth-century, cross buns were sold hot, door-to-door (fig. 1). Fig. 1. Thomas Rowlandson, Cries of … Continue reading
A George II Walnut Serpentine Chest – Part Seven
The external surfaces of the chest were washed down with hot soapy water to remove any wayward glue, grime and fingerprints. The chest was then stained and the first lick of spirit varnish applied to seal it (fig. 1). The … Continue reading
The Vagaries of Mounting Ladies
Whilst viewing an estate clearance sale recently, a few old tack room fittings and stable accessories reminded me of some of the esoteric accoutrements so beloved of wealthy eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century equestrians. Fig. 1. Extravagant mahogany boot jack by … Continue reading
Pegs and 'Tails 