Arts and Crafts Furniture

Liberty and Co. An Arts and Crafts wall cabinet with gold stencilled lion and a motto ''THE MAN WHO SMOKES THINKS LIKE A SAGE AND ACTS LIKE A SAMARITAN", BY Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st...

A Good Oak Open Bookcase This is a good quality Oak open book shelf The Bookcase is in very good condition, sound and handsome, it has 3 adjustable shelves and a low gallery at the...

An exceptional antique Mission or Arts & Crafts quarter sawn oak sideboard buffet server or writing desk By L. & J.G. Stickley USA, Circa ...

Liberty & Co. A scarce pair of well designed Arts and Crafts oak side or occasional tables with three plank sides, each having, above the shelves an arched top cut-out so as not to o...

Liberty & Co. George Walton attributed. An Arts & Crafts mahogany display cabinet with original liberty label to the back and 'Liberty & Co. Ltd, London' stamped on the brass locks....

A good set of five antique English Arts & Crafts elm bar stools, circa 1900. A very handsome set of five antique bar stools, the stools are made from so...

Arts & Crafts 2 seater settle In oak with rush seating By William Birch. CIrca 1900 Height 110cm. Width 128cm. Depth 57cm. Seat Height 47cm

Stunning and elegant Arts & Crafts pendant. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Original patinated brass frame with original hand- blown glass shade. Rewired with one original sock...

Iconic British design by L Wyburd for Liberty & Co with a ‘D’ shaped seat on tripod spayed leg supports joined by a triangular stretcher. Beautifully made and designed object, solid ...

William Birch. Liberty and Co retailer. A classic Arts and Crafts rush seat oak dining chair with a wide curved headrest and attractive wild grain. Ring turned legs with ring turned ...

Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this stunning original Arts & Crafts Shapland & Petter Hall stand with hand hammered Copper panels over a Walnut frame with inset sheild mirror Please note the delivery fee listed is just a guide, it covers within the M25 only for the UK and local Europe only for international, if you would like an accurate quote please send me your postcode and I’ll provide you with the exact price A very good looking well made and decorative hat glove coat and scarf rack, this one is rare as it has the central mirror and its an earlier than usual example circa 1900 Made by Shapland & Petter, a full blub on their life and works can be found below In terms of the condition it is straight and solid, the piece sits well in any setting and looks decorative and very English country house, we have cleaned waxed and polished the timber, there is one hook slightly bent, otherwise its in fine order Dimensions Height:- 205cm Width:- 113cm Depth:- 40cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point, if you would like any additional or specific measurements please ask Shapland and Petter of Barnstaple Introduction This Barnstaple based company manufactured some of the finest pieces of furniture in Arts and Crafts style but very little has been written about the company or the pieces they produced. It a great shame that whilst Shapland and Petter pieces have been illustrated in books and auction catalogues they are invariably attributed to other makers such as Liberty and Co in London or Wylie and Lochhead in Glasgow. With this feature, we intend to inspire a more thorough appreciation of the work of the company; readers are invited to help with the task by sending photographs and information. Collectors and auction houses are now showing significantly more interest in Shapland and Petter pieces. The company, based in Barnstaple, England produced a very wide range of furniture in several different styles including many pieces in period reproduction and municipal style for town halls and commercial premises alongside their superb Arts and Crafts range Distinctive features of their superb Arts and Crafts style are the use of heart shaped piercing, geometric shapes with angled arches and the application of repousse copper panels. Decoration with marquetry, metal inlay, mounting of ceramic and enamel cabochons were techniques which they mastered with a combination of state of the art technology and traditional craftsmanship. Most distinctively, the pieces were extremely well made, with care and very best quality materials The growing interest in Shapland and Petter has raised many questions about the origins of the firm, and the sources of influence on their designs, some of which resemble designs by Ashbee, Ballie Scott, Voysey and Talwin Morris. Links have been assumed with Liberty and Co with the supposition Shapland and Petter worked on commissions for Liberty. There appears to be little evidence to support many of the assumptions which have developed around the company and this article is intended to help to start the discussion and to stimulate research The History of Shapland and Petter The Museum of North Devon in Barnstaple have an archive of Shapland and Petter which includes some company records and a small display of furniture and related items. The following text gives history of the company and is reproduced from the display boards in the museum with kind permission of North Devon Museums For over 100 years the Shapland and Petter factory has stood at the end of Barnstaple Long Bridge. Manufacturers of doors, door sets, and custom wood interiors, NT Shapland and Petter Ltd are still one of the towns largest employers. The company was established by Henry Shapland (b. 1823), a cabinet maker by trade. He embarked on a voyage to America in 1848, where he was inspired by an invention for a wave-moulding machine. He was only allowed to see it if he left the country immediately. Returning home with only rough notes, he reproduced the machine and in 1854 began a cabinet making business in one room at the Raleigh woolen mill in Pilton. Later the firm moved to Bear Street in Barnstaple. Henry Petter was an accountant who entered into partnership with Mr Shapland. The business progressed and in 1864 they bought the Raleigh Factory where Shapland first began his work. Success was rapid, but in 1888 the building burnt down. Immediately work began on a bigger and better factory - their present site by the Long Bridge - which included many modern inventions The two Henrys died within two years of each other - Petter in 1907 and Shapland in 1909. In 1924 Shapland and Petter merged with the Barnstaple Cabinet Company, producing North Devon's biggest industry. During the First World War Shapland and Petter's skilled craftsmen turned their hands to wooden propellers for the aircraft of the Royal Flying Corps. After the war, public tastes changed, and hand carved furniture was too expensive for many. Shapland and Petter's output now included elegant veneered pieces with smooth Art Deco lines. The company fitted out Pullman carriages and ocean liners and made hand-carved church furniture. The famous England Rugby Captain W. W. Wakefield was appointed Company Director in 1927. Throughout the depression of the late 1920's and early 1930's the company still managed to produce high quality work Furniture manufacturing continued until the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939. Many workers left to fight, while the factory worked on Air Ministry contracts for ammunition boxes. After the war came radio cabinets and laboratory and contract furniture, until eventually large quantities of doors were being produced for hospitals, hotels, schools, offices and other buildings. Examples of Shapland and Petter's work can be seen all over North Devon. In Barnstaple, the shop front at 109 High Street is a good example, and the interior of the old Lloyd's Bank, now Chamber's Brasserie, was also Shapland's work. Examples of carving by Shapland's men can be seen in two chairs and a reading desk in Barnstaple Parish Church As cabinet makers, Shapland and Petter employed up to 350 people at a time. There were designers, carvers, cabinet makers, machinists, polishers, and labourers. The company was one of the first to install American labour-saving devices and was keen to adopt the most up-to-date machinery The fire of 1888 at the Raleigh Cabinet Works was a huge loss for the company. However, it resulted in a new factory which was altogether more modern and better equipped. The new building by the river was arranged into blocks. The production line began with the saw mills and ended with the finishing rooms. There was modern machinery in every department - one of their saws was the first of its kind in Britain. Water sprinklers and electric lights were a necessity - this factory would not burn down As well as the furniture production, Shapland and Petter imported timber by sea and rail. The new factory 's facilities were exceptional Shapland and Petter were renowned for excellent design and workmanship. The carvers were highly skilled, serving seven year apprenticeships and attending classes at the Barnstaple School of Art. Ornately carved furniture required up to a hundred tools The factory produced made to order woodwork for banks, hotels, and shops; mantelpieces, paneling and staircases. They fitted out Pullman railway carriages, the London Guildhall, and Edgar Wallace 's dining room as well as houses like Tapeley Park in North Devon Much of the work involved intricate leaded glass panels, or inlaid fruitwood designs, like the white bedroom suite shown in the exhibition here. This type of work is typical of Art Nouveau 1895 to 1910, inspired by the fluid shapes of plants and flowers Many pieces were made from standard designs. There were hundreds to choose from, and a selection could be seen in local and London showrooms and in catalogues. Although mass-produced, this furniture was well-made by skilled technicians and modern machinery Arts and Crafts designs of Shapland and Petter The development of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the South West of England has not been written up in any detail though we do know of the Art Potters of Barnstaple from the excellent book of this name by Audrey Edgeler. Less is known of the Barnstaple Guild of Metal Workers. We know of the Bath Cabinet Makers and the Newlyn School of Industrial Art in Cornwall but very little has been written about the furniture makers of Barnstaple in Devon The establishment of a large cabinet making firm in Barnstaple is not remarkable in itself; there were several cabinet makers in the area. What is interesting is that this particular Barnstaple firm should become a leading maker of Arts and Crafts furniture, copying the styles of the leading Architect designers and creating their own unique style Critics may point out that as their work was commercially driven and reliant upon machines it therefore does not really qualify as Arts and Crafts. Whilst the company was highly innovative in machine technology, they also employed many craftsmen who worked with their hands in woodcarving, marquetry work, design and application of decorative copperwork and other artistic embellishment in the true Arts and Crafts tradition. Anyone who has experience of Shapland and Petter workmanship knows the level of craftsmanship invested in each piece Sources of inspiration There appears to be no evidence to link any known architect, artist or designer to the Shapland and Petter company. Their designs appear to have been created solely by their own internal design staff none of whom appear to have published or registered their work in any other context C. R. Ashbee who established the Guild of Handicrafts visited Barnstaple in 1893 and provided a twelve week course on the design and decoration of furniture. It is presumed that this visit was hosted by Shapland and Petter, and that their own staff and those from other local furniture makers attended the course. Ashbee appears to have been unimpressed by the commercial attitudes he encountered and apparently disappointed at the lack of interest in his (high minded) lectures. What is interesting however is the similarity between some of his designs and those used by Shapland and Petter, particularly in respect to inlaid floral design. Perhaps he left a lasting influence which has not yet been verified There has been some speculation on the influence of Scottish designers, particularly because of the use of Glasgow rose designs which are typical of the Glasgow School, and particularly of Talwin Morris. There are also several designs which use similar motifs to those used by Baillie Scott, the use of two doves in flight for example. More research is needed to trace possible links here. One thing that is clear is that there was a great deal of copying and selling designs in the furniture industry at the time and a nineteenth century survey on the furniture trade recorded that '' Barnstaple pays the best prices for designs ..'' Collaboration with other companies There is evidence that Shapland and Petter organised a wide network of companies to retail their products and hence many pieces have the labels of retail furnishers added. Little is known of their marketing in Europe and America but it may be that many Arts and Crafts pieces were sold abroad. Shapland and Petter had excellent access to rail and shipping lines for importing timber and presumably for exporting their finished products The extent of their collaboration with other companies is yet to be ascertained but there is evidence that their suppliers included the Della Robbia Pottery, Pilkingtons Tile...

Birmingham Guild of Handicraft. A rare and large Arts and Crafts circular copper light with repousse circular details and hand riveted decoration to the upper section with a flaring ...

Donegal Carpet Ireland 12’0” x 16”9” - 366 x 511 Early 20th century; c. 1910 Wool pile of symmetric knots on a wool foundation Designed by Gavin Morton The Donegal factory in Killybe...

Faraday & Sons London. A near pair of Arts and Crafts Pullman Coach brass table or wall lights.Both stamp marked Registered F&SOne is 35 cm high, the other...

Antique Craftsman couch for sale. Over 100 years ago, and in excellent condition. Has a solid quarter sawn oak frame in a dark oak finish, and a vintag...

An Arts and Crafts Walnut armchair with a curvaceous back on tapering turned legs, probably made by William Birch. The seat has now been professionally re-upholstered in a quality wi...

John Pearson attributed. An Arts and Crafts log or coal box with hand-formed circular Fluer De Lys copper panels to the top and larger Fleur De Lys to the sides.

Donegal Carpet Ireland 10’4” x 13”6” - 315 x 411 Early 20th century; c. 1910 Wool pile of symmetric knots on a wool foundation Designed by Gavin Morton The Donegal factory in Killybe...

A good quality sound and sturdy set of six English Arts & Crafts oak dining chairs with carved floral roundels to the headrests. Armchair measures Height 46 Inches. Depth 23 Inches....

Liberty and Co. Leonard Wyburd. An oak bureau with drop down writing area held in place by slides each side of the large drawer with a large double cupboard below all with stylised i...

Magnificent and rare Arts Crafts cupboard or cabinet. Design by Jac. van den Bosch for 't Binnenhuis Amsterdam. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak with original so...

Magnificent and rare Arts & Crafts Art Nouveau wall cabinet. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak with wonderful hand carved calla lilies. In very good condition with m...

Arts & Crafts tubeline Secessionist Vase With an rare pink background and stylised Glasgow rose decoration Stamped Mintons Ltd No 19 Circa 1900 ...

Donegal Arts and Crafts Carpet Killybegs, Ireland Early 20th century Gavin Morton Design Wool pile of symmetric knots on a wool foundation. M...

Ceramic planter, Art & Craft period, England, circa 1900.

Shapland and Petter. A good set of seven Arts & Crafts oak armchair's with shaped headrests, stylized cutouts to the side and back splats, and contoured comfortable seats with a good...

Arts & Crafts Embroidery ‘Queen Eleanor Gives The Poisoned Cup To Fair Rosamond’ Silk on Linen In a large Arts & Crafts oak frame with copper hand cut nails Circa 1900 Framed:...

An Arts and Crafts brass three arm ceiling light with floral decoration. We have original brass chain to hang this at any height. Length from ceiling...

A small Arts & Crafts oak sideboard in the style of George Walton. With flaring cornice, four small upper cupboards the central pair with arched doors and a small work area in front,...

Danish Arts & Crafts period pottery bowl, circa 1900. Stamped Denmark & with unknown maker's signature underneath. The exterior of swirling leaves while the interior is deep layers o...

A gorgeous antique Mission or Arts & Crafts period bench, settee, or love seat By Charles P. Limbert USA, Circa 1900 Quarter sawn oak frame, with leather upholstery. Measures: 74...

Otherwise known as the Passmore armchair after the settlement they were most probably designed for at Tavistock place - this version exhibits all the attributes one would find from a...

Charles Robert Ashbee (attributed) for the Guild of Handicraft. An oak ladder back armchair with a professionally re-rushed seat. Seat Height: 43 cm; Arm Height: 68 cm

An Arts and Crafts oak dressing table mirror with subtle curved detail to the top and an adjustable mirror on a ratchet mechanism set within it's frame, with a pierced heart to the b...

Large and striking French champagne or wine cooler in copper over zinc, dating from around 1900. The piece features beautifully aged patina, a hand-worked decorative base in the Arts...

Gouda Holland. An early and massive Rhodian vase with a date letter E for 1902, and engraved R for Bernardus Römer.

Arthur Simpson attributed, in the style of CFA Voysey. An exceptional quality English Arts & Crafts walnut extending dining table with wonderful figuring t...

Liberty and Co attributed. A Glasgow School Walnut piano stool with storage under the seat, and a lift up flap to the front to make the seat higher. The seat with semi-circular cut-o...

Shapland and Petter. A good Arts and Crafts oak rush seated chair in the style of M H Baillie Scott with a lower heart cut-out to the back rest. A wide apron below the seat with subt...

Stunning and elegant pair of Arts & Crafts stools. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Original hand-carved solid oak frames with re-upholstered high quality boucle tops. This wond...

Exceptional Art Nouveau champagne cooler designed by Ludwig Vierthaler for J. Winhart & Co. Munich around 1900. This is an extremely rare piece, crafted with meticulous handwork and ...

19th Century Woven Wicker Vintage Travel Chest A very useful decorative travel trunk, the Trunk is covered made in woven cane, which has wonde...

Stunning and elegant Arts Crafts Art Nouveau bookcase. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak base with original beveled glass in the two doors. Two original brass key...

Fine Arts & Crafts mantel (fireplace) example with dark patina brass. Salvaged from old bungalow of the period. Subtle details and understated elegance, circa 1905-1910.

William Birch. Liberty and Co retailer. A classic pair of Arts and Crafts rush seat oak chairs with a wide curved headrest and attractive wild grain. Ring turned legs with ring turne...

Spectacular early (1905) Gustav Stickley mission oak arts & crafts sideboard with the most desirable hardware, bronze strap hinges & door , drawer pulls. All hand hammered exclusive...

Liberty & Co attributed made by William Birch. An English Arts & Crafts shaped ladder back armchair with ball finials to the back and to the front of the arms with turned supports b...

Liberty & Co., attributed to John Pearson or John Williams. An Arts & Crafts copper and wrought iron fire-screen, with cold rivetted construction to the edges and a hand-hammered ga...

Stickley Brothers in the style of. A good quality American Arts and Crafts oak rocking chair, with a stylish curved and slatted back and a burgundy leather cushion.

Liberty and Co attributed. An Arts & Crafts oak sideboard in the Glasgow style with a generous flat display area to the very top, dentil moulded cornice below with central upper angl...

J S Henry in the style of Voysey. An Arts and Crafts walnut adjustable piano stool with pierced heart decoration to the sides with extended round height adjustable handles to each si...

Magnificent and rare pair of Arts & Crafts Art Nouveau side chairs. Design by Jac. van den Bosch. Striking Dutch design from the 1900s. Solid oak frames with decorative solid ebony p...

Liberty and Co. An Arts and Crafts oak magazine rack with a raised handle and twin compartments inside with pierced circular decoration to the sides on shaped legs united by a turned...

True Arts & Crafts two-tone geometric pair of stained glass windows. Subtle workmanship which exudes simplified elegance. In very good or...

A rare Arts & Crafts oak record cabinet for holding 1978 (LP's do not fit into this cabinet but singles do). With a roll up door retaining the original key ...

Liberty and Co (attributed). A rare Moorish walnut revolving stool with Moorish arches and mother-of-pearl star shaped inlay on the feet. We have had the seat professionally reuphols...

This is a Superb Gustav Stickley Model 300 Footstool with eight (8) instances of thru-tenon construction. The item has the original burlap backing on the bo...

A top quality Arts and Crafts oak Hallstand by Shapland and Petter with bevelled mirror flanked by a circular copper disc with hat and coat hooks, stylised cut-outs and stylised flor...

An Arts & Crafts quarter sawn oak extending dining table with wonderful figuring to the grain. An unusual sliding top that you can easily slide open to allow for one or for the two...

Rare and important solid oak armchair from circa 1900 by what you can call Denmarks first designer Thorvald Bindesbøll. Thorvald Bindesbøll (July 21, 1846, in Copenhagen – August 27...