Dramatic Upturn In Demand For Good Furniture

Perhaps it is a reflection of how much more time we spent in our own homes during lockdown, but the past few years have seen a dramatic upturn in demand for good quality antique furniture in the saleroom, after a prolonged period when wooden furniture in particular had fallen out of favour, writes Henry Hammond.

In a county like Norfolk where there is a considerable number of period properties, we shouldn’t be surprised that people are seeking pieces of furniture which suit their Georgian or Victorian homes.  What is more striking is how many people are putting antique pieces in more modern homes, seeking perhaps to inject some character into the modern aesthetic.

Either way, prices for antique furniture are definitely on the up, the number of lots we are seeing consigned to our Summer Fine Sale next week reflecting this.  Fine Sales are where an auction house places the very best lots – whether in terms of value, interest or rarity.  At Keys, these translate into our thrice-yearly Fine Sales, which stretch over three days.

One very handsome example is a French Louis XVI walnut veneered Bombe commode chest with three pine-lined drawers fitted with elaborate brass handles and escutcheons.  It was purchased from a chateau in Nancy in eastern France in the early 20^th century and has been in the same family ever since.  It goes under the hammer at Keys next week with a pre-sale estimate of £1,500-£2,500.

Georgian furniture is particularly popular, largely because its generally modest dimensions fit well in most homes today.  Next week’s sale has a Georgian mahogany bachelor’s chest in the Chippendale manner.  As the name suggests, these chests were a practical and useful piece of furniture for bachelor’s bedroom apartments, serving both for storage and as a writing desk, and generally compact enough to fit into small spaces.  The example in our Fine Sale has an estimate of £2,000-£2,300.

Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson (1876-1955) was a quirky British furniture maker based in Yorkshire, his work largely inspired by the Arts and Craft movement led by William Morris.   He gained his nickname because pretty much every piece he ever made featured a carved mouse. 

It is thought the idea of including a carved mouse on every piece came after someone called him ‘as poor as a church mouse’ early on in his career.  He wouldn’t think that if he knew how much his work sells for at auction today: we have several Mouseman pieces in next week’s sale, including a wonderful oak wardrobe (complete with carved mouse climbing up the side) which has a pre-sale estimate of £1,500-£2,500.

A more unusual piece of furniture is a Chinese Qing dynasty hardwood opium bench with carved panels and scrolled decoration, which has its own bolster cushions and removable seat cushion.  The Qing dynasty lasted from 1636 until 1912; this piece is from the later part of that period.  As the name suggests, it would have been used as a seat on which to smoke opium.  It has an estimate of £500-£700.

Keys’ three day Summer Fine Sale takes place on Wednesday 24^th, Thursday 25^th and Friday 26^th July.  Full details at www.keysauctions.co.uk.