| It is often difficult to estimate the time period in which a | | | | Walnut was often used. |
| piece of antique furniture was made. We have to look | | | | Chippendale (1755-1780) |
| for clues. Styles and tastes evolve over time. Also, | | | | Ball and claw feet, S and C scrolls. Carved shells and |
| new pieces of furniture are made to fit the needs of | | | | acanthus leaves were used. Gothic influences and |
| the day. Knowing what the styles were in a particular | | | | Chinese motifs. Upholstered seats. Mahogany primarily |
| era, or when a new type of furniture first appeared, | | | | used. |
| gives clues as to when the antique piece could have | | | | Federal (1780-1820) |
| been made. You know this is true by looking at your | | | | Elegant, delicate. Vase and lyre shaped bases. Bell |
| own lifetime. Have you noticed that fewer people | | | | flower motifs, swags, inlaid woods. Tapered, slender |
| keep their TVs in armoires? Now that we have big flat | | | | spade legs. Fluting. Hepplewhite and Sheraton styles |
| screen televisions, sleek modern television stands have | | | | fall into this era. Mahogany & cherry wood. |
| been invented. Also, a variety of TV wall hanging | | | | Empire (1815-1840) |
| mounts appeared. If a child asked you how old one of | | | | Reflected America's fascination with French, Greek & |
| those TV stands were, you would know they were | | | | Roman styles. Duncan Phyfe's era. Grecian couches, |
| probably only a decade old. We did not have any in | | | | scrolled arms, animal legs, ormolu mounts, pillars. |
| the 1970s or 1980s. | | | | Hitchcock chairs. Variety of woods were used. |
| America is a fairly young country, being just over 200 | | | | Victorian British (1840-1901) |
| years old. Therefore, our furniture starts with the pilgrim | | | | Era of Queen Victoria's rule. Strongly influenced |
| era. Below is a broad guide of the different American | | | | American made furniture. Many styles within those |
| antique eras. | | | | years. Began very ornate. Rosewood and mahogany. |
| Pilgrim (also called Colonial) (1620-1700) | | | | Industrial Revolution occurred. Iron used. Furniture |
| Rather heavy, all hand made, craved rectangular | | | | became mass produced. |
| pieces and turned balusters. Made primarily of oak or | | | | Arts & Crafts (1880-1920) |
| local wood. | | | | Back to handmade. Craftsmanship revered. Little to no |
| William and Mary (1690-1725) | | | | ornamentation. Rectilinear. Morris, Stickley. |
| Dutch influence. Elegance. Lots of turned legs and | | | | Art Noveau (1890-1914) |
| turned balls on the antique furniture. Veneers were | | | | Form taken from nature. Curvaceous, organic, plant-like, |
| used. Gate leg tables came into existence, as well as, | | | | flat entwined designs. |
| high boy and low boy furniture. Walnut and cherry | | | | Art Deco (1910-1939) |
| wood was used. | | | | Machine age. Geometric form. Smooth lines. |
| Queen Ann (1725-1755) | | | | Streamlined shapes. Stepped levels. Chrome and |
| Graceful, smaller proportions, curves. The birth of the | | | | plastic was used. Skyscraper era. |
| curved cabriole leg. Wing back chairs were made. | | | | Article by Ursula Gannon of Gannon's Antiques & Art. |