Describing Antique Furniture Correctly with Examples of English & French TermS

Working as an appraiser, I spend a fair amount of time conducting market research into antiques, including 18th and 19th century European furniture. When looking for similar examples in the marketplace, I frequently notice the misnomer of a furniture form for the region or period in which it was made. Of course, the wrong name is by no means the end of the world, but there is that je ne sais quoi feeling when you find that perfect word to identify a specific object.

When looking at French style furniture, I recommend describing the piece using its French name and similarly employ the English name for the English version. Do you worry about being too esoteric? Then consider adding a basic object type in your description so your readers feel comfortable in knowing what’s being addressed. For instance, let’s say you have a slant front desk made during the mid-18th century in Paris. Technically, the correct name for the form would be “bureau de pente.” In your description, you can write something like the following: A Louis XV bureau de pente or desk, veneered in kingwood marquetry, and embellished with ormolu mounts. That way, you are enlightening your reader to the correct term while identifying the object.

What about American furniture, you may ask? Well, it depends. North America has been described as a “melting pot” for a reason. Regions vary in cultural influences and often continue to express traces of the former colonizer’s sense of taste. For example, pieces made along the U.S. Northeastern Coast tend to follow English precedents. In contrast, the Gulf South experienced significant French settlement in the 18th century. Even after the Louisiana Purchase by those “Anglos” in 1803, the Creole community remained strongly tied to its Francophile ways. You can still observe this predilection for French forms today (such as the armoire and not the linen or clothes press) in Louisiana, Mississippi, and parts of Alabama. As a simple rule for furniture description, think about the historical origins for the item you are identifying, and then make your best judgment.

If more individuals in the antiques business used appropriate and specific object names, it would be easier for all of us to share knowledge and discover accurate examples. To help the cause, the final section of this article is a brief overview of a few 18th-century furniture forms in English and French styles. While not a comprehensive list, I hope it inspires your object investigation to head in the right direction.

A Quick Note on Styles & PERIODS

When discussing European styles, there are widespread stylistic movements throughout the centuries, with each nation having its distinctive interpretation. So when describing an object, you can use the broader international style or a particular regional term. Below is a timeline of these movements from the Baroque to Neoclassical period for International, English, and French styles.

Keep in mind that other cultures have their variations that you may come across in listings. The use of a specified style may be a signal that the example you’re looking at might be from a different geographic area than your subject item (such as Gustavian furniture is a Swedish twist on the Neoclassical). Another possibility is that the seller is not well informed and, therefore, a red flag for you to treat the information lightly. 

Another nitpicky point is that art historians like to create timeframes so they can place zeitgeists neatly into categories. It should come as no surprise that human expression is not that tidy. There are overlapping styles that coexist, transitional forms revealing hybrid philosophies, and idiosyncratic pieces that refuse to be conventionally labeled. So while we may refer to year start and end dates for stylistic periods, I recommend using them as guidelines and consider the context. Is the sideboard you’re examining a fancy, urban example? Then you may want to follow the category parameters more closely. But what if it’s a vernacular, provincial piece? Then the style may have remained popular in the countryside for a longer time.

And let’s not get started on Revival pieces beginning in the mid 19th century. They are a whole other quagmire and a topic for another day.

International Style

• Baroque (1620-1700)

• Rococo (1700-1760)

• Neoclassical (1760-1830)

• Eclectic (1830-1880)

English style

• William and Mary (1688-1730)

• Queen Anne: 1702-1714

• Chippendale (1754-1780)

• George I (1714-1727)

• George II (1727-1760)

• George III (1760-1820)

• Adams, a.k.a Adamesque (1760-1790)

• Regency: 1820-1830

French Style

• Louis XIV (1660–1715)

• Régence (1715–1730)

• Louis XV (1730–1770)

• Louis XVI (1770–1789)

• Directoire (1789–1805

• Empire (1805–1815)

• Restoration, a. k. a. Restauration (1815–1830)

CASE STUDY

English versus French 18th-century Furniture Examples

Fauteuil

French, circa 1755, carved and gilded beechwood, upholstered in modern green broché. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Open Armchair

English, circa 1755, made by Matthias Lock Sr., limewood and pine, carved and gilded, modern silk damask upholstery. Source: Victoria & Albert Museum.

Bergère

French, circa 1788, Made by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené, carved, painted and gilded walnut, modern cotton twill embroidered in silk. Part of a set for Marie-Antoinette’s dressing room at the château de Saint Cloud. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

ENCLOSED Armchair

English, circa 1772, made by Chippendale, Haig and Co., beech, traces of original green paint under modern re-painting, modern upholstery. Certain forms also referred to as an upholstered armchair and even sometimes called a bergère in Great Britain. Source: Victoria & Albert Museum.

Encoignure

French, circa 1745-49, made by Bernard II van Risenburgh, oak veneered with ebony and Coromandel lacquer, cherry wood, purplewood, gilt-bronze mounts, and brocatelle marble top. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Corner Cabinet

English, circa 1777, attributed to Mayhew & Ince, tulipwood, satinwood, amaranth, pine, and ormolu. Source: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Table de Jeu

French, circa 1760, attributed to Bernard II van Risenburgh, oak veneered with tulipwood, purplewood, kingwood, satiné wood, walnut, gilt bronze, and modern silk velvet. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Card Table

English, circa 1735-40, made by Giles Grendey, lacquered with japanned chinoiserie decoration, gilded beech, and lined with felt. Supplied to the Duke of Infantado's castle. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

écran

French, 1788, made by Georges Jacob, carved, gilded and silvered beech, and 18th-century silk brocade (not original to frame). Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Fire Screen

English, circa 1750-1775, carved mahogany and Chinese paper. Based on a Thomas Chippendale design in Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director (1754), plate 125. Source: Victoria and Albert Museum.

Armoire

French, circa 1720-25, oak, Scots pine, beech, and chestnut veneered with rosewood, olive, yew and cherry. Source: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Clothes Press

English, circa 1750, attributed to the workshop of Giles Grendey, carved mahogany and brass fittings. Source: Victoria and Albert Museum.

Commode

French, 1724, made by Matthieu Criaerd, oak frame, fruitwood veneer, Martin varnish, silvered bronze, blue turquin marble. Commode commissioned from the marchand mercier Hébert for the Blue Room in the Château de Choisy. It was designed to match some blue silk woven by the king's mistress, Madame de Mailly, and to suit her taste for oriental art. Source: Musée du Louvre.

Chest of Drawers

English, circa 1755, carved mahogany and secondary pine, after plates 43 and 45 of Thomas Chippendale's Gentleman and Cabinet Maker's Director (1754). English made chest of drawers that more closely resemble their French cousins can be described as commodes as well; however, if there is a noticeable series of drawers, then stick with chest of drawers. Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Enjoyed reading? Subscribe to our newsletter.

© Courtney Ahlstrom Christy

Ahlstrom Appraisals LLC | Personal Property Appraisals and Art Consultations