Further to the blogs of 28 and 29 October 2011 concerning the Throne Chair, circa 1870, brown oak construction with carved decoration. I can confirm that this chair is now ready. Yesterday it was upholstered during the course of the morning. After it's initial strip of old varnish and waxes, it was cleaned, treated, stabilised, oiled and very lightly waxed. The upholstery materials consisted of horse and pig hair which were washed, dried and aired, interliner fabric, hessian, webbing, nails, brugundy bovine leather and studs.

This is a beautiful and elegant chair. It has a striking yet graceful presence. It will be at home in any classical or contemporary modern setting. One to acquire and keep for the years ahead.

Edwardian Garden Benches and Tables

I am very fond of the Edwardian and Art Nouveau eras. Edwardian 1901-1910 (the length of the reign of Edward VII) but generally taken to encompass the years 1901-1919 and Art Nouveau 1895-1905 overlap for some of the years. The effect of this overlap is a delight in that both eras portray a wonderful array of paintings, furniture, ceramics, jewellery, clothing and architecture.

Original Edwardian bench and table ends are exquisitely cast. When I can find attractive examples I like to restore the metal work to a very good condition with a high quality paint finish which tends to be superior to that when the items were originally painted and to replace the timber slats with English hardwood, preferably from reclaimed timber such as oak if possible. A couple of treatments of wood preservative for external use and non corroding metal nuts and bolts complete what I consider to be a very practical piece of furniture.

I say that I like to restore furniture like this but I realise that this is not to everyone’s taste, of course. Some prefer to see and use garden furniture in it’s worn and rusty condition. The garden furniture that Art & Furniture Revival offers for sale is for external use but is also able to be used internally in the conservatory. Indeed, there is no reason why the furniture cannot be alternated between outdoors and indoors!

The pleasing aspect to restoring bench and table ends in this manner is that we are giving new life to items made long ago such that it would be enormously expensive to commission the making of the same today. Whilst I like contemporary modern furniture that has been designed and made well the selling price is usually high. In challenging economic times like we are experiencing now, restored items hit the mark. The finished product exudes quality and the style of a bygone era. This is a versatile piece of classical furniture that can live harmoniously within a contemporary modern setting as well.

A restored Edwardian garden bench or table will enhance the patio, conservatory or the garden. They are timeless pieces of furniture and improve with age. Please check the web site for availability.

I am pleased to deal with some vintage handbags and travel bags. I currently have for sale merchandise from various eras. Yesterday I took the opportunity to visit the Vintage Fashion and Accessories Fair which was held at Hammersmith Town Hall in London. This was a first visit to this event. There I witnessed a fantastic array of clothing, specialist textiles, jewellery and handbags.

By the time of my arrival during the late afternoon the fair was well attended by vintage aficianados. The range of items was impressive. The dedication and courtesy of the dealers at the fair was admirable. An event such as this provides the opportunity of assessing and comparing quality with the merchandise I offer for sale. Quality is an obsession previously admitted in an earlier blog. It is pleasing that Art & Furniture Revival’s quality matched much of the best vintage crocodile handbags on display. A particular point to note when considering the purchase of a vintage crocodile skin handbag or travel bag is that most of those made bear no makers mark or label. It is as bewildering to me as when I discover a painting with no artist signature or label but one recognises that the item is clearly a work of excellence. The reality is that many of the bags made were by small companies and in some instances, companies that may have made for the big and established fashion houses of the day.

I decided a while ago to offer some of these incredibly beautiful bags for sale and have acquired a modest stock of those that evoke the styles of their eras. Each bag has been assessed for it’s condition and where necessary restored in a genuine and sympathetic manner true to original design. Our aim, first and foremost, is to do nothing to the item but if it is necessary to restore, to keep the item as original as possible. This, sums up my attitude to any necessary restoration for vintage bags or furniture, ‘we do not make up the story, we merely continue in telling the original story’.

The public want good quality at sensible prices. I do not have a problem with this notion but original vintage merchandise in good condition will generally command a decent price. Genuine vintage merchandise is what it is, products of a bygone age, inherently beautiful and rare, items that have style and will last well into the future if cared for.

Quality matters to me. I have to re-iterate this constantly as I know that many of you will no doubt wonder when you look at any of my merchandise on the screen whether it is in good condition and could be used immediately in your home. Please be assured that it is in good condition and depending on the type of item can be used in the home and for some items outside as well. Furthermore, I take considerable care in the delivery of the merchandise as well. Delivery can be made world wide. I am happy to discuss delivery arrangements for any enquiry.

The photo below illustrates a French vintage green crocodile skin 1950s/1960s handbag that has been added to Art & Furniture Revival’s stock. I was immediately attracted to this bag because of it’s style, particularly the brass attachments for the handle strap and of course, it’s colour which is becoming quite rare.

I have been preparing for the Epsom Racecourse Antiques and Collectables Fair to be held in the Main Hall on the Ground Floor on 6th December 2011 9 AM to 3 PM. You may have seen my notice about this event in the Special Feature section on the Contact & Delivery page of the web site. Apologies for reiterating this event but it is the ideal opportunity to meet potential customers and indeed, those of you who have been looking at the web site since it was launched on 1st August 2011.

I am determined to present a good selection of my stock and there will be a few new items too. If you are considering making a modest investment in a painting or piece of furniture you may be pleasantly surprised at what you see by way of quality and prices. I do hope that you can attend if you are in this part of England on the 6th. If you are not I am able to assist you on this web site via email or telephone.

I hope to do several antiques fairs during 2012 and will naturally advise when and where they will be after assessing their relevance,locations and availability to my business to present it's merchandise.

If you look at my web site you will quickly notice that I like chairs. They feature amongst a varied selection of merchandise.

When travelling around the country I have a very good opportunity to look at antique chairs. The condition is mostly poor but in my profession that is accepted. What I look for is the chair that stands out. A chair that, even in a poor condition, still looks beautiful and can be brought back to it’s former condition.

However, why do we want to own a chair that may have been part of a set of 4, 6 or 8 chairs and that has become divorced from it’s group? Or indeed, have the other chairs survived? Afterall, we are not considering an individual armchair, that is something completely different in my view and I dare say that one would not question purchasing an armchair if it was attractive.

There are various reasons for purchasing an individual antique chair. The most compelling reason in my opinion is that you like the look of the item and just want to own it. Buying what you like because of it's intrinsic beauty is an acceptable reason for parting with money in these more challenging economic times. Who wants to have buyer’s remorse? There is a logic to the belief that you can never have enough chairs in a home. Additional individual chairs are a perfect way of accommodating visitors to your home for drinks or dinner. It is also true that nowadays we do not have homes large enough to accommodate sets of chairs.

Individual chairs can become part of the home’s furnishings very easily. They add to the character of the home being easily located in a hall way, lounge, dining room, bedroom, study or home office. They are worth the investment and if treated well they will always provide great pleasure and comfort. They will also appreciate in value because many of the individual chairs found in Britain require so much attention that they are prone to be scrapped. They will become rare and be treasured. This is more so when one considers that there is a reluctance to preserve what I call ‘the more humble antiques’ of the bygone age. There is nothing nicer that being in a position to pass on an antique piece of furniture to your children or grand children.

I have included a photo image of a chair recently acquired which requires a little attention and polishing before it is upholstered. It is an early Edwardian dining chair, circa 1901–1910. I say dining chair because I believe this chair would have been part of a set of either 4, 6, or 8 chairs. This is a survivor that I have rescued from Somerset. It has already been stripped and cleaned and is now with my restorer, part of a group of items to be restored in the near future.

The detail in this chair is wonderful. It is constructed of walnut. The chair’s splat (part of the back rest) is elegant. It has ornate fretwork detailing an urn and acanthus leaves. (The use of acanthus leaves inspired by their origin as a decorative motif of a stylized leaf from Ancient Greece but also delightfully used in William Morris designs of the 19th Century, particularly from his wall paper designs). There is a crested top rail with scroll like decoration. The chair’s frame has subtle reeded (grooved) lines which accentuate the beauty of the chair’s frame. The front legs are turned, exquisitely so, with beautiful proportions. The rear legs are splayed. I look forward to when this chair is ready for inclusion on the web site.

I do like to offer a varied range of merchandise on my web site. Vintage bags if treated well exude an elegance which is well worth cherishing. This applies from vintage suit cases to ladies hand bags.

I acquired this Ladies 1930s (Art Deco) style Crocodile skin hand bag by Linslade, London some time ago. This is now a beautiful vintage hand bag which can be used immediately and regularly. I only sell hand bags that are vintage and fit for purpose. As with all of the vintage bags that I sell, considerate use will ensure that this bag will be able to be used for several years. This bag is available for sell on my web site at the time of writing.

However,this bag was not in a condition which I considered to be acceptable for a lady to be confident and proud to use it in public. When I acquired the bag the handle strap was not genuine to the bag and quite frankly, awful and in poor condition.

After much research and trusting my instinct I decided to sketch a handle for my restorer to make and I need not tell you how difficult this is to achieve. I do not like to change any item from how it was designed and made originally but sadly, on this occasion I had no choice but to be brave. After all, the bag attracted my attention because it was beautiful and that is a good enough reason to rescue it! We are delighted with the result. We have used vintage crocodile skin and matched the scales which are evident on the bag’s body and the colour. We have also used brass fittings which match the brass elsewhere on the bag.

A final note on Linslade, London. Not much is known about this interesting hand bag manufacturer who seem to have used a variety of materials for the making of their bags. Anyone who knows anything about this company I would be pleased to know. Please reply to my Blog Post.

One of my favourite styles of armchair is the Bergere. The sheer beauty of wooden frame and cane work is a graceful and subtle combination. Include with this leather or fabric and you have a beautiful item.

The Bergere chairs that I have found or seen in recent years have generally been in a poor condition. It has been evident that these have had hard lives, have been neglected and when an attempt has been made to repair a damaged chair it has been poorly carried out and I have even seen examples of the canework areas covered over with upholstery. By the nature of their construction Bergeres are delicate compared to all solid wood or completely upholstered chairs. They look beautiful but they are prone to damage.

This chair was acquired in a poor condition but it had been well used since it was first manufactured. The Bergere is a difficult chair to take on when one is considering the restoration to it’s original known condition. The main problem is the restoration of the cane work. There are fewer and fewer specialist restorers of traditional cane work. I have lost count of how many dealers have asked me for a recommendation in this field. The reality is that even if you find someone to take on the work it will be very expensive because it requires diligence, dedication and a vast amount of patience to complete the work. That is why the chair available on my web site is a rarity in it’s fully restored state.

The first operation in the rehabilitation of this chair was to strip it of all it’s varnish, remove broken cane work and treat the frame with a preservative for fine furniture. The chair was allowed to dry over several days, some of which were outside in the breeze. It was later inspected carefully for damage so that an assessment of the condition could be made and what repair and re-glue of joints would be necessary. It is important to ensure after any resetting and re-glueing that the chair sits on the floor evenly distributing weight proportionately throughout it’s frame. Fortunately, for this chair very little repair and re-glue was needed.

The seat frame was also inspected to ensure that it was still strong enough to take the new leather upholstery and padding. Once all of the frame restoration was completed the chair was lightly stained to give it an even colour and then polished. The next important stage was to take the chair to my specialist cane restorer and after assessment, the chair was accepted as a restoration project. Re-caning takes time and one never rushes the restorer! This ensures good quality. I always say that ‘people who feel good about themselves produce good results’.

The chair was collected last Thursday 17 November 2011 and the very next day was taken to my upholsterer for final completion of the seat. I may add that we have used the original fibre stuffing which was washed and dried and new wadding, hessian and webbing. Only nails have been used to secure the upholstery. I was privileged to see the seat upholstered over a period of one hour during which the upholsterer and I had an interesting and hilarious conversation covering restoration and current affairs!

My aim is to offer good quality examples of English furniture with little or no restoration. However, this chair has had full treatment but it is an original chair that will last for a very long time if treated well. I also expect a chair like this to appreciate in value in the long term. Bergere chairs are becoming rare, particularly restored to this condition. All in all, a very elegant English chair which would not be out of place in Downton Abbey!

Last week I collected two paintings from one of the restorers that I use. I am lucky in that I take artwork to very experienced people and have implicit trust in their abilities.

I often wonder how something will be once it is cleaned. What will it reveal? Will I be able to locate where it was painted, particularly in the absence of no information written on the back? Very often, there is nothing written on the back by the artist. A separate note should be made concerning labels adhered to the back of paintings. They are not always what they purport to be. As one of the restorers I use has said, 'anyone can put a label on a painting'. It would be preferable to see the artist's own hand writing.

The work may be signed but that does not tell us where it was painted. A lot of research has to be carried out. It is time consuming, fascinating and even when the apparent truth is not readily revealed there is the urge to make you carry on. You have to keep questioning your research. Do you believe what you see? Why are you going to the trouble of explaining all of this? Quite simply, if it is prudent to buy first and foremost because you visually like the work there is also a strong desire to know who the artist is. Is it a genuine representation of their work and is it a work that may have been exhibited? Is their evidence of a good body of work recorded as having been exhibited in galleries? In your examination of a painting you are trying to satisfy yourself that it is what you believe it should be. In my position it is always good to know what I am selling. Even in the absence of basic Information as to date of composition and location

of scene the work should still seem credible. We must accept that more information can come to light as time goes by.

And so having collected these paintings I have set about trying to fill in the missing pieces of information. One such composition is a work by Edwin Alfred Pettitt. When I acquired this work it was very dirty with a thick layer of dirt resting on top of a discoloured varnish, so much so that it was not possible to distinguish detail in the centre so well. Having been cleaned it has revealed some nice subtle detail which shows what I believe is a bridge over a river. The river is set amongst trees and a rock face. The work is signed recto (front) but there is nothing singned verso (back). You will notice another composition by Pettitt on my web site entitled 'Hastings'. The rear of the frame of that painting has been covered to prevent dirt ingress, but I can assure you that the artist signed and detailed the painting's location on the back of the artist's prepared board. From that painting it is clear that it is a beach scene with the pier in the background.

I have a good idea where the river scene painting by Pettitt is located. From an examination of known works by this artist I stumbled across a work which was entitled 'The Afon (River) Ogwen North Wales dated 1887. This work is on canvas but there is a very similar rock face and tree setting albeit that it is painted from another perspective. Therefore, I believe it will be reasonable to describe the work on board as the Afon Ogwen, North Wales circa 1886 - 1888. The work on board also has a bridge evident upstream which shows a remarkable resemblance to the bridge that is over the river today. So, in essence, this is how I go about trying to give the painting some attribution when there is nothing written. I have attached an image of the work which you may want to compare to the artist's work 'Hastings'. The new work is awaiting it's frame which is being restored and will be reunited with it very soon.

My web site is my on line shop. I never close!

The merchandise that I currently offer for sale has been checked, possibly had some restoration carried out or not, has been cleaned, polished and very importantly, is kept in a clean and dry environment.

In essence, the type of merchandise that I offer for sale is likely to be unlike that you will see at auctions or antique fairs. I know that there will be exceptions to this, very probably at the high end of the market, but generally the overall standard is 'as found' and nearly always sold that way.

You do not buy from me and then have the 'headache' of having to have something repaired before you can enjoy it in your home. My merchandise can be enjoyed immediately.

Antiques move in and out of fashion and vogue. If you treat the merchandise that I sell to you well there is every possibility that it will not only hold it's value in the short term but will appreciate in the long term. I think we will all agree that this is the ideal scenario. However, we also buy for other reasons, particularly those that give us personal pleasure and satisfaction because we own something beautiful.

Please remember, even though you cannot touch any of my merchandise immediately you will not be disappointed when you receive it. My Terms and Conditions afford you and I adequate protection in our Buyer and Seller relationship. I care about what I do and how I treat my customers. Your satisfaction with what I sell to you and the service I can provide are my prime considerations.

You can always discuss any product or any issue that needs to be clarified with me by commenting to this blog post or by phone or email.

Sincere Regards,

Mark

Art & Furniture Revival