Furniture

Every piece of furniture has a practical purpose regardless of how simple or grand it is, even if some pieces were built more for display than function. Today, furniture remains one of the largest areas of the antiques market and items are categorised by type and period.

The term brown furniture refers to traditional pieces made from dark woods such as mahogany, while pieces made from native woods like oak and walnut are sometimes referred to as vernacular furniture.

Famous historical makers include Chippendale, Gillows, William Vile and John Cobb. More recent market trends have seen modern vintage pieces appearing in specialist design and ‘Interior’ auctions.

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George III chairs and settee made for Oxfordshire house ended up at US museums after Guggenheim purchase

30 October 2026

The September 25 Boston Collects sale at the Massachusetts branch of Doyle (28% buyer’s premium) included items deaccessioned by the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston, for the benefit of its collection.

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Mystery 18th century mirror reflecting the Palladian taste makes £21,000

30 October 2026

An 18th century giltwood mirror proved rather more desirable than its £500-800 estimate suggested when it sold for £21,000 at Moore Allen & Innocent (21% buyer’s premium) in Cirencester on September 24.

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FAIR REPORT: ‘A well-managed fair we look forward to every year’

30 October 2026

High footfall and strong sales make for another successful edition of the annual event The Northern Antiques Fair

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Oxfordshire gallery showcases storage solutions for collectors, 18th and 19th century style

30 October 2026

Oxfordshire gallery turns spotlight not on objects as such for once but on where and how they were kept

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Single-owner sale from a London apartment presents a striking Sri Lankan selection

30 October 2026

Furniture in Ceylonese style shines thanks to ‘tip-top quality’, market freshness and provenance

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Chippendale chairs in untouched condition take $64,000

30 October 2026

During a summer walk-through of a home in Prides Crossing, Massachusetts, Frank Kaminski saw something that compelled his attention. Emerging from beneath a pile of boxes and blankets was a highly detailed carved paw foot.

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Encouraging signs at The Decorative Fair in Battersea in the face of growing global economic woes

23 October 2026

Standholders at the latest Decorative Fair report strong demand for good-quality objects

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Cornish antiques and vintage dealer gets on board as Cotswolds newcomer

23 October 2026

The Cotswolds Decorative, Antiques & Art Fair welcomes new and returning exhibitors this autumn.

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Tree or not tree, that is the question

23 October 2026

The top of this Regency pollard oak table features 52 oyster-veneered panels of mulberry wood, purportedly from the tree in William Shakespeare’s garden in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Dresser teapot

Then there were three... Christopher Dresser teapot discovered in Canada and auctioned in Scotland

16 October 2026

A seminal proto-modernist metalwork design by Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) emerged for sale in Edinburgh on October 14.

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Once sold at Christie’s, now setting a market test in East Yorkshire

16 October 2026

A group of 18th century English furniture bought at Christie’s in 1992 provided an interesting measure of today’s market when it returned to auction at Spicers (20% buyer’s premium).

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Inscribed 18th century drinking glass sells with a flourish

16 October 2026

Special piece comes from historian’s collection including items linked to the family home in Derbyshire

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Quentin Bell mermaid table makes a splashing £14,000

16 October 2026

Making tiled tables was something of a tradition in the Bell family.

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Furniture dealer De Jong debuts at LAPADA Fair in Berkeley Square

16 October 2026

‘I try to buy something with a little magic’ says Dutchman who deals in fine English period furniture

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Question time with John Hansord of Hansord Antiques

16 October 2026

Hansord Antiques was founded in 1972 by David Hansord, joined later by his son John. Over the years it has traded from a number of premises including originally in the centre of Lincoln on Castle Hill.

LAPADA fair

LAPADA launches Excellence Awards ahead of autumn fair

16 October 2026

A raft of new and returning dealers have signed up for this autumn’s LAPADA Fair in Berkeley Square from October 27 to November 1.

Bronze fountain

Police appeal for information to trace stolen bronze fountain

16 October 2026

Wiltshire Police has issued an image of an antique bronze fountain stolen from a garden in the village of Fisherton de la Mere.

Persian rug

Plea to help recover Persian rug stolen in Manchester

09 October 2026

The Manchester-based owner of an early 20th century Persian rug hopes the trade could help him recover the family heirloom after it was stolen earlier this year.

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Safety lamps lead the way at sale of extensive collection with a mining theme

09 October 2026

Collector built friendships all over the world when amassing a record of two centuries of mining equipment

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Belgian designer and architect's Weimar designs come to German auction

09 October 2026

The multi-talented Belgian designer and architect Henry van de Velde spent many of his most productive years in the east German city of Weimar, where he lived and worked from 1899-1917.

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