Sheraton Antique Sideboards

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Antique Sideboards Sheraton Antique Sideboards Thomas Sheraton published his book of designs, including sideboards, in 1791. Though Heppelwhite and Sheraton sideboards are sometimes con-fused even by those familiar with their chairs, there is really little excuse for this if the prominent characteristics of each are kept in mind. In general appearance Sheraton's sideboards do resemble Heppelwhite's somewhat. There is the more or less heavy body on the six slender legs. His fronts, how-ever, are characterized by bold, swelling curves rather than serpentine or reverse curves. A favorite design was a straight center, a square jog at each end of it, and rounded corners and ends. More noticeable was the difference in the legs. Heppelwhite's sideboard legs were usually square, often ending in the spade foot; but while Sheraton often used square legs on his chairs, his sideboard legs were almost always round, slender, and tapering, and usuallyreeded. Sheraton also made use of inlay, and some of his sideboards were elaborately ornamented by this means, in both wood and metal, eclipsing even Heppelwhite's later work in this respect. His patterns included medallions, fans, vases, shells, etc. His carving was very simple when it appeared at all, and was mostly in conventional Greek patterns. In some respects Sheraton's designs were superior even to Heppelwhite's, and his sideboards are perhaps the most superb examples of cabinet-making that are likely to reward the search of the amateur antiquarian. They were complete with every sort of device to delight the butler's heart-cellarets, closets for wine-bottles, slides for the serving-tray, and racks for glasses and plates. At the back of the top was often a brass railing, sometimes elaborately ornamented, and bearing candlesticks. Frequently, too, there were very cleverly fitted urn-shaped knife-boxes, usually inlaid. A number of sideboards were made in this country based on Sheraton's designs, much simplified, and without inlay. In general, these Georgian sideboards, dating from 1 778 to 1804, averaged six feet in length and two feet in width, though other sizes were made, as well as some odd shapes that have not been here described. Small ones were made to serve simply as cellarets, and a few were so shaped as to fit into the corner of a room. About 1800 other cabinet-makers in England, as well as in this country, were making sideboards based on Sheraton's designs, usually simplified and other-wise modified. There were many variations in shape, size, and arrangement, but most of them followed Sheraton in respect to the round, slender, reeded legs. Many of them were of mahogany, and, though not Sheraton's work, are desirable acquisitions. After 1804 the character of the sideboards changed. Massive, round, turned, twisted, or rope-carved pillars appeared. The body was placed nearer the floor, and the legs, sometimes an extension of the pillars, became shorter. The brass claw foot was occasionally used. In this country the influence of the French Empire styles became evident in the sideboards as in other furniture, though the American makers continued to depend for ornament rather on carving and the grain of the wood than on the French ormolu work and brass or gilt trimmings. To these American-Empire creations the name American Colonial is sometimes erroneously given. These sideboards almost always had three drawers, side by side, just below the top, the front of which was sometimes curved. For handles the rosette and ring, the lion head and ring, and glass or brass knobs were used. Below the drawers there were three cup-boards, the middle one usually wider than the other two and furnished with double doors, the cupboard doors being often paneled in an oval or Gothic pat-tern. There was usually a paneled upright piece at the back. For ornament little carving was used, but more often a veneer of selected mahogany with beautiful grain. Occasionally there were brass trimmings. Often there was a serving-board which pulled out from directly beneath the top. Sometimes the middle cupboard was omitted to make room for a cellaret. The more elaborate examples in this country, some of which are carved, are to be seen in the South, especially in Virginia and Maryland. From 1820 to 1830 a plainer sideboard of American make was commonest here. It had four legs, one cupboard, and deeper drawers. It had turned pillars at the front corners, and turned feet. The front of the deep central drawer could sometimes be let down to form a writing-desk, with pigeonholes and drawers inside. This was an adaptation of one of Sheraton's inventions, and was originally intended for the steward or butler, who kept the household accounts. Further modifications followed, with more or less of the heaviness of the Empire style apparent, until about 1850, when beauty and merit departed. It is impossible to give an idea of the money value of these old sideboards in a single paragraph. The values vary widely with individual pieces; a great deal depends on purity of style, excellence of condition, etc. Heppelwhite sideboards are worth from $250 up, and good Sheraton pieces about the same. Late Sheraton pieces, and American sideboards on good Sheraton lines, may be had for $150 to $250. Late sideboards of less merit, but still worth having -even mahogany pieces-may be picked up some-times for less than $100, while $l,000 is a not uncommon price for an unusually fine example.
Antique Guides \| Antique Chairs \| Antique Desks \| Antique Tables \| Antique SideBoards
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Antique Guides \| Antique Chairs \| Antique Desks \| Antique Tables \| Antique Sideboards
Antique Sideboards Sheraton Antique Sideboards Thomas Sheraton published his book of designs, including sideboards, in 1791. Though Heppelwhite and Sheraton sideboards are sometimes con-fused even by those familiar with their chairs, there is really little excuse for this if the prominent characteristics of each are kept in mind. In general appearance Sheraton's sideboards do resemble Heppelwhite's somewhat. There is the more or less heavy body on the six slender legs. His fronts, how-ever, are characterized by bold, swelling curves rather than serpentine or reverse curves. A favorite design was a straight center, a square jog at each end of it, and rounded corners and ends. More noticeable was the difference in the legs. Heppelwhite's sideboard legs were usually square, often ending in the spade foot; but while Sheraton often used square legs on his chairs, his sideboard legs were almost always round, slender, and tapering, and usuallyreeded. Sheraton also made use of inlay, and some of his sideboards were elaborately ornamented by this means, in both wood and metal, eclipsing even Heppelwhite's later work in this respect. His patterns included medallions, fans, vases, shells, etc. His carving was very simple when it appeared at all, and was mostly in conventional Greek patterns. In some respects Sheraton's designs were superior even to Heppelwhite's, and his sideboards are perhaps the most superb examples of cabinet-making that are likely to reward the search of the amateur antiquarian. They were complete with every sort of device to delight the butler's heart-cellarets, closets for wine-bottles, slides for the serving-tray, and racks for glasses and plates. At the back of the top was often a brass railing, sometimes elaborately ornamented, and bearing candlesticks. Frequently, too, there were very cleverly fitted urn-shaped knife-boxes, usually inlaid. A number of sideboards were made in this country based on Sheraton's designs, much simplified, and without inlay. In general, these Georgian sideboards, dating from 1 778 to 1804, averaged six feet in length and two feet in width, though other sizes were made, as well as some odd shapes that have not been here described. Small ones were made to serve simply as cellarets, and a few were so shaped as to fit into the corner of a room. About 1800 other cabinet-makers in England, as well as in this country, were making sideboards based on Sheraton's designs, usually simplified and other-wise modified. There were many variations in shape, size, and arrangement, but most of them followed Sheraton in respect to the round, slender, reeded legs. Many of them were of mahogany, and, though not Sheraton's work, are desirable acquisitions. After 1804 the character of the sideboards changed. Massive, round, turned, twisted, or rope-carved pillars appeared. The body was placed nearer the floor, and the legs, sometimes an extension of the pillars, became shorter. The brass claw foot was occasionally used. In this country the influence of the French Empire styles became evident in the sideboards as in other furniture, though the American makers continued to depend for ornament rather on carving and the grain of the wood than on the French ormolu work and brass or gilt trimmings. To these American-Empire creations the name American Colonial is sometimes erroneously given. These sideboards almost always had three drawers, side by side, just below the top, the front of which was sometimes curved. For handles the rosette and ring, the lion head and ring, and glass or brass knobs were used. Below the drawers there were three cup-boards, the middle one usually wider than the other two and furnished with double doors, the cupboard doors being often paneled in an oval or Gothic pat-tern. There was usually a paneled upright piece at the back. For ornament little carving was used, but more often a veneer of selected mahogany with beautiful grain. Occasionally there were brass trimmings. Often there was a serving-board which pulled out from directly beneath the top. Sometimes the middle cupboard was omitted to make room for a cellaret. The more elaborate examples in this country, some of which are carved, are to be seen in the South, especially in Virginia and Maryland. From 1820 to 1830 a plainer sideboard of American make was commonest here. It had four legs, one cupboard, and deeper drawers. It had turned pillars at the front corners, and turned feet. The front of the deep central drawer could sometimes be let down to form a writing-desk, with pigeonholes and drawers inside. This was an adaptation of one of Sheraton's inventions, and was originally intended for the steward or butler, who kept the household accounts. Further modifications followed, with more or less of the heaviness of the Empire style apparent, until about 1850, when beauty and merit departed. It is impossible to give an idea of the money value of these old sideboards in a single paragraph. The values vary widely with individual pieces; a great deal depends on purity of style, excellence of condition, etc. Heppelwhite sideboards are worth from $250 up, and good Sheraton pieces about the same. Late Sheraton pieces, and American sideboards on good Sheraton lines, may be had for $150 to $250. Late sideboards of less merit, but still worth having -even mahogany pieces-may be picked up some-times for less than $100, while $l,000 is a not uncommon price for an unusually fine example.
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