Furniture reproductions have been popular for a great many years,    
                     but the number of antiques being reproduced and sold as such has 
                                   never been greater than at the present time.

Historical Event 

King Louis XIII liked furniture that was bulky and rigid. Louis XIV believed furniture designed during his reign should show off his power so it was massive and ornate. Both styles lacked grace and were large in scale so they are rarely reproduced and found mostly in museums. Their importance lies in the fact that they were the basis of later French styles by Louis XV, Louis XVI and Louis Philippe, which are reproduced today especially In Egypt.

Think French if you want to bring a classic touch to your home because it's such a timeless design style. This ageless quality is due largely to the influence of King Louis XV who liked curved pieces and intricate carvings of shells and flowers, which was largely influenced by Madame de Pompadour ,With the invention of springs, chairs became more welcoming with open arms and cushioned seats, which were larger and deeper to accommodate the huge dresses popular at the time, Louis XV furniture is symmetrical and incorporates motifs such as shells, leaves, flowers and scrolled toes. It's also known as the Rococo style, which is derived from the French word "racaille" meaning rock and shell work,When Louis XVI took the throne in 1754, furniture evolved once again. One of the major influences in the design was the king's queen, Marie Antoinette. It was her interest in the classics that predominated the look of furniture and simpler lines replaced the free-flowing forms of previous styles. Legs became straight and tapered like a Roman column without scrolled toes.
King Louis Philippe's style reflected the times so it was much simpler than all the previous ones . People were wealthy and wanted to buy a lot of furniture so craftsmen had to produce it faster. Armoires are unmistakably French with carved doors, interesting hardware or decorative painting. They were originally used for storage before closets existed.

Ancient Egyptian Furniture

Most of the Egyptian wooden frameworks were elaborated by gold sheaths, which had encased the Egyptian furniture. Hetepheres'  furniture consisted of two armchairs, bed frame, bed canopy, carrying chair and two boxes.

The introduction of the wooden boxes were made at the end of the Old Kingdom. They were manufactured with flat, gable, barrel and shrine shaped lids. Some were very large and were designed with a pair of poles that enabled the box to be carried  by a  team of porters. In one tomb scene we see such a box being carried by fourteen men.

During the Middle Kingdom we find boxes were customized to hold cosmetics. Many were designed like crates to hold small alabaster jars which held perfumed oils. Other boxes have been found to contain  mirrors, kohl containers, combs and other items. Other elaborate boxes held jewellery, these were usually inlaid or veneered with sheets of ivory or exotic timbers bought from lands south of Egypt. Chests were used to store domestic possessions such as linens, clothing, jewelry, and make-up.

Scribes even had boxes in which they stored their writing implements and palette. Their boxes were usually painted to imitate the stringing and veneered panels found on more ornate boxes. The Egyptian bed was a rectangular wooden frame with a mat of woven cords. Instead of using pillows, the Egyptians used a crescent-shaped headrest at one end of the bed. Beds were made of a woven mat placed on wooden framework standing on animal-shaped legs. At one end was a footboard and at the other was a headrest made a curved neckpiece set on top of a short pillar on an oblong base 

By the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt we find bed frames were in common use with many examples being found in 1st dynasty (3100-2890 BC) tombs. The quality of these bed frames ranged from conveniently shaped branches that were lashed together, to sophisticated examples made from rounded poles that were jointed together and supported on finely carved bovine shaped legs. 

The ancient Egyptian stool was made from wood, and had a padded leather or woven rush seat. It is the most common item present in ancient Egyptian homes. A low, square stool, the corners of which flared upwards and on top was placed a leather seat or cushion, was the most common type of furnishing.  The stools’ 3 or 4 legs were very often carved to look like animal legs. Wealthy people had their stools and all furniture in general was richly decorated with gold or silver leaf. The more common people would have things painted to look more expensive than they were.

The ancient Egyptian furniture was in general lower in height than contemporary furniture with beds being about 300mm high and the stools being extremely low by modern standards. As to the lowness of the seating pieces, the short stature of the early Egyptian people may have had some influence, their average height being only a few inches over five feet .However, their chair remains indicate them being quite high off the ground, requiring a footstool to be reached, and once seated the footstool was used to support the sitter's feet.

By the time of the Second Dynasty the stool appears to have differentiated into a new form reserved for royalty and high ranking members of society. It became more substantial in its construction, sometimes having a low back rest and was often higher than the stool. Sometimes a cushion was added.

Middle Kingdom furniture had  a wide collection of small tables. These tables were widely used for the display of vases or holding water pots. Many are low with straight legs and have a single stretcher strung below the table top. We also see that Egyptian carpenters were constructing splay legged tables which had cavetto cornice mouldings below the edge of the table top. Slender vase stands were made from thin strips of timber braced with cross and angled struts. They were fitted with a shaped collar which held the round base of a single vase.

Those chairs made during the Middle Kingdom had either short backs over which was draped a cover or cushion or they had backs of full height. Such chair backs were curved and made from angled slats of timber. We see that they stood on slender gazelle-shaped legs. Often chairs were painted to simulate animal skin which were painted with a technique which resembles cow skin.

By the Fourth Dynasty the chair reached a high point in its refinement and elegance.  After then the seat in its two forms (the chair used by nobility and royalty and the stool used throughout the rest of the society) remained virtually unchanged for twelve dynasties (to around 1320 B C).
  By the New Kingdom, the homes of officials and nobles would have been furnished with a wide range of furniture.  Again the stool was the most popular.The most commonly used were lattice stools that were made from thin struts of timber with angled braces supporting a double cove seat. Round legged stools appear in some of the more important Theban tombs. The majority of legs from these stools were hand rounded although there is a small corpus of material which have legs that appear to be turned.

Curved Egyptian stools.
Stool designs with similar shapes are also recorded. The folding stool shown represents a typical example of this variety. Leather or a material weave would form the seat section or 'stretcher' of the stool. Perhaps the naturally formed curve assumed by the seat when sat upon was imitated in the solid construction. Egyptian furniture and in particular chairs, evolved into some quite complex forms, requiring a high level of skill in their design and crafting as demonstrated in the construction details in

During the New Kingdom we see carpenters sitting on three legged stools which allowed the stool to rest evenly on the workshop floor. The folding stool originates in the Middle Kingdom and was made from two interlocking frames with a leather seat. New Kingdom examples are more elaborate having the floor rails and crossing spindles finished with carved goose head terminals which are inlaid with ivory to imitate the eyes and neck feathers. We also see that lion legged stools and chairs were used in the homes of high ranking officials. 

The "Egyptian furniture" manufactured in the royal workshops were not very different in design to that used by the middle classes. However, they were exquisitely embellished with gold sheet, inlaid with coloured stones and faience or veneered with ebony and ivory. They were also adorned with the uraeus and the symbols of kingship. Other pieces are inlaid with thousands of slivers of coloured wood in either marquetry or parquetry patterns.

By the New Kingdom, Egyptian furniture was highly prized and was often sent as tribute to the rulers of neighbouring countries. Fragments of Egyptian furniture have been excavated at sites around Western Asia.

Courtesy of  www.kingtutshop.com

Styles of Furniture Making

Gothic: Medieval church architecture influences this style-characterized by pointed arches, counterbalancing buttresses, open tracery and
            vertical grandiose emphasis.
Elizabethan: Elizabeth I Reign 1558-1603 England's Renaissance interpretation.
Renaissance: Derived from Italian Renaissance style-mainly oak functional furniture with scroll & arabesque carving, etc. with horizontal 
                    emphasis. A "pendulumatic" reaction to Gothic style.
Pilgrim: Spartan utilitarian American furniture reflecting 17th C. English country styles
Jacobean: Roughly spanning James I (1602-25) & Charles I (1625-49) reigns. Restrained ornament, Moorish influence.
Louis XIII: King reigned (1589-1643), Baroque style including cherubs, cartouches, gilding, and spiral turning.
Cromwellian: Also known as Carolean era. Probably alluding to Irish influence in the era roughly surrounding Charles I.
Louis XVI: The Sun King's reign (1643-1715) noted for splendor of courts in Versailles and Paris. Marquetry inlaid furniture distinguished by
                   opulence and grandiose size.
Baroque: Flamboyant, heavy, decorative rectilinear style derived from 17th C. Italian architecture.
Commonwealth: Unadorned style that flourished under protectorate of Oliver Cromwell (1649-60) in a revolt against aristocracy.
Restoration: Restoration of kingly Charles II 1660 to the abdication of James II 1688, walnut replaces oak, C and S scroll supports introduced.
                    Not as restrained as the Common man style preceding.
The Restauration period  in antique French furniture was characterized by simple harmonious lines, gentle rounded forms and fine ornamentation. Light woods such as ash, elm and bird’s eye maple were used along with dark woods such is as mahogany and palissandre. The craftsmen employed veneers and inlay and the use of light wood inlay against dark wood grounds or dark wood inlays set into blond grounds, the latter of which was especially popular during the reign of Charles X. Typical decorative motifs included the swan, cornucopia, lyre, rosettes and gadrooning.
Early Colonial: With some wealth attained, carved oak Hadley chests and turned Great Chairs start making their way into American homes.
Rococo: An exuberant curvaceous style characterized by asymmetrical lines and shell, floral and foliate motifs.
William & Mary: Roughly influenced by William III reign 1689-1702, heightened English style and cabinetry introducing: domed cresting, the
                            American highboy, lacquer work, ball & bun Spanish feet; strong Dutch influence.
Queen Anne: Reign (1702-1714) Along with Chippendale, the finest hour of English and American cabinetry. Feminine petite lines, beautiful
                     proportioning and balance, restrained use of ornament. The cabriole leg and cyma curve are prevalent.
Regence: Transitional melding of baroque into rococo. Romantic elements supplant heroic.
Louis XV: Continuance of the rejection of weighty forms. Rococo exuberance replaces angularity in flowing curves and elaborate scrollwork.
                Gilded cabriole leg fauteuils are introduced.
The French Rococo Louis XV style of furniture incorporates curving lines, cabriole legs (with scroll feet) and carved details of period furniture common in the 18th century
Carving on armoires, tables and chairs depicted delicate foliate patterns inspired by nature. The French style is much more formal than the English and many pieces were accented with decorative marquetry inlay, brass ormolu plaques, and gold details.


Paris asserted its dominance over the rest of France as a center of excellence in the design and manufacture of luxury goods as early at the 17th century. France’s other major cities copied as closely as they could the lead being set by Paris, but the craftsmen of the countryside, perhaps more influenced by factors of cost and practicality, created their own look using local materials. In antique country furniture, French Line Antiques carries armoires, benches, chests, farm tables, and tall case clocks of the late 18th-early 19th centuries from regions as diverse as Brittany, Lorraine, Bordeaux and Provence.
Chippendale: Masculinity supplants femininity in furniture. Cabinetmakers like Thomas Chippendale take lead over monarchs in design. Queen
                     Anne form puts on a bowtie and goes rococo, mahogany rules. Oriental influence comes to shore.
Neo Classic: Inspired by continuing excavations and discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum (begun 1738) classic Greek and Roman
                   decorative motifs like dolphins, guilloches, lyres and urns emerge everywhere. Straight lines and swags supplant rococo curves.
Hepplewhite: Neo Classicism influences English and American design. Tapered rectilinear legs supplant the cabriole leg. George Hepplewhite's,
                    "Cabinet Makers and Upholsterer's Guide" is published in 1788.
Louis XVI: Beginning before 1774, 18th Century French Art climaxes under King Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and exuberant neoclassic style.
Sheraton: Thomas Sheraton's "Cabinet Maker's & Upholsterer's Drawing Book" is published 1791. Turned Corinthian column legs supplant
                tapered legs. Square shapes round out.
Directoire: Transitional phase from Rococo to Neo Classic. Soft painted surfaces supplant ostentatious gilt. Rectilinear columnar design
                  replaces curves and cabriole legs.
American Federal Period: The new, emancipated country's beautiful interpretation of graceful lines and form over excessive ornament. Eagles
                                         emerge in great numbers.
Empire: Beautiful at first, then severe in treatment-especially in America-of Classical forms. Surrounded by wreaths, Napoleonic ormolu
              bronze mounts highlight mahogany.
The Empire period  in antique French furniture embraced what was monumental in ancient art. Dominated by Greco-Roman models, this style was spare, rectilinear and symmetrical. Mahogany was the wood of choice often with decorative bronze mounts and gray, black or white marble tops. Decorative elements characteristic of Empire included the human form, swans, winged chimeras, and sphinxes; Egyptian and Greco-Roman motifs; geometric forms, and those associated with Napoleon himself, the eagle, the bee and the initials I and N.
During the Napoleonic campaigns of the 19th century, Neo-classical furniture took on an Egyptian inspiration with classical details appearing in the form of the lyre, paw foot and acanthus motif.
In England the style is known as Regency, the Empire in France, and Biedermeier in Germany. The Biedermeier style was a slight variation on the late neo-classic style more restrained and less ornate than the English or French counterparts. Carving as well as intricate wood inlay patterns were used for decoration.
Woods were primarily rosewood and mahogany with gilt accents and brass ormolu details
Louis Philippe:The Louis-Philippe period  in antique French furniture was derived from the simple, rounded lines of the Restauration, but with very little ornamentation. Darker woods were once again preferred, including mahogany, palissandre, and walnut. Table and commode surfaces are frequently marble-topped; marbles were most often black, white or gray, sometimes with sculpted borders.
Regency: Several styles emerge in Britain based on a blending of traditional English lines with Gothic and Neo Classic influences.
Biedermeier: The great German reaction against English and French rococo style. Generally rectilinear or slightly draping lines. Beautiful
                     woods, generally with little or no ornament. Comfort and common sense supplants ostentation.
Victorian: The machine age takes hold. Ornament and busyness supplant the weightiness of Empire in its last days. More is better.
Arts & Crafts: Rebellion against the Victorian Industrialism. Objects that appear to be made by hand are in again. In America, Gustav Stickley
                       spearheads the Mission Oak furniture movement featuring mortise & tendon joining and rectilinear lines.
Jugendstil: Germany's brilliant Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movement. Strongly influenced the path toward modern art developments.
Art Nouveau: Probably born in a Parisian art shop (Samuel Bing c. 1895) the new "Moderne" kind of art and design influenced by nature,
                      Japanese style and flowing feminine lines. A continued reaction against the Victorian era of the "machine."
French Art Nouveau furniture was produced for only a relatively short time, from 1890 until about 1920.The style is characterized by flowing, curved lines, asymmetry and natural subjects, especially flowers and plants. It was always expensive to manufacture, as its originality required an artist's vision from the designer and the highest skills from the executing cabinetmaker. Furthermore, its very sensuousness resulted in its falling into discredit as decadent when World War I reintroduced cultural regimentation. The most common forms of Art Nouveau furniture were dining and bedroom pieces; the single form displaying the widest range of the style’s application was the chair.
Art Moderne: Art Nouveau gives way to technology. NYC's Chrysler building is a standing testament.
Art Deco: Who needs humanistic/naturalistic lines and earthy tones? Chrome and plastic supplant wood. Bon Voyage, Art Nouveau. The
                 rocket age is born and furniture, art and design are going for the ride! 
The French Art Deco furniture (1920-1925) is France’s first expression of originality in furniture design and decoration in the twentieth century. While it is characterized by a return to the straight line, its designers also experimented with new or exotic finishes and materials including metals, mother-of-pearl, ivory, wrought iron, unusual wood veneers, lacquers and plastics and by stylizations inspired by nature or the use of geometric forms in the decorative elements. The sources of influence from the past include themes and motifs from ancient Egypt, the Empire and Louis XVI periods. Proportions changed dramatically - principally through minor elongation and substantial height reduction - to accommodate, among other things, the lower ceiling heights in modern buildings

 
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