Featured Elizabethan C16 court cupboard?

Hello, this court cupboard was purchased from a private school in the north 20 years ago, as an 16th century court cupboard, for £3500. It has now been handed down to me and I am trying to identify it. I have been looking into court cupboards and wonder if it is really that old or if it is a later (Victorian) copy? Sorry I do not have any better photos but it is in storage at the moment. Thank you!

 

Later copy.

 

try to find out as much as possible about the school; building part of an abbey ?; when first opened ? catholic ? etc.

 

How much later would you say?

 

Will do!

 

Guesses late 19th, it's probably antique just not period and the style isn't Elizabethan (16th century), it's Jacobean (17th century).

 

Ah okay interesting, thanks! And what about the piece suggests it is 19th century construction rather than 17th? Is it the type of carving/ colour etc?

 

sounds like both the buyer and seller didn't do their homework....

3500 pounds..........in 2001....for damaged brown furniture.......seems like I'd want an expert....like James to look it over first !!

Just sayin.......

 

If you notice the sides on either end that is damaged, they are a separate piece/board/assembly that attaches to the edge of the front stiles. In a period piece, it's not like that at all.

 

Cheers thanks for your help! If only the Victorians hadn’t copied everything..

 

LOL, Yes, I hear you, they were VERY fond of the earlier styles and, they had the time and resources for that itch to be scratched by manufacturers in that era. A LOT of it is still floating around on both sides of the pond.

 

I'm gonna say it might be an oldie, not a Victorian piece, looks like lots of repairs have been done over the years probably accounting for the variation in construction. Just an opinion.

 

It was also fashionable during the Victorian period, to break-up certain items of "old" furniture and marry pieces to make another piece. I'm of the mind that an entire middle section of the dresser is missing. I am certainly no expert, but some of the carving on your dresser looks machine-crafted, as it is very precise, exact and repetitive. Also, there is no age-related patina upon the dresser which one would expect for a piece dating back over 300 years. I may get my tongue bitten off here, but I doubt it has a value of £3,500 or even half of that amount. It is however a stylish piece in its own way. Where are its door & draw handles, too???

 

A couple of period English court cupboards

Elizabethan, late 16th century



And another/late 16th century


Dated 1667, your style of cupboard



And another/ late 17th century

 

One thing I found surprising was the cupboard has a rough quality that I didn’t associate with Victorian copies. This would make sense if parts of the cupboard are older and the Victorians then messed around with it and added bits. However, I would then imagine they would put it together again a bit neater?

Did the Victorians always use their ‘modern’ tools like circular saws, in constructing their copies. Or did they sometimes go the extra mile and create copies using the traditional techniques of the period they were copying?

I would be really interested in learning more about how to identify pieces and their period (from things patination, construction, carving patterns etc). Are there any good books that are thorough enough for antique collectors or dealers? (I am not one but would love to learn this properly)

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!!

 

Thank you for those images. Yes they all have a much deeper/ richer patination. How much of this is due to the types of wax or varnish that are sometimes applied, or simply the oak ageing?

I had noticed the court cupboard did not have such a deep colour but I thought this was maybe down to a lack of polishing..

 

I would always recommend to view a piece in situ and not to assess its age etc., from photos alone. Study the joints of the wood such as dovetails for example and any nail or screw fixture & fixings as these can also help to age a piece. Any draws (if present) should show signs of long-term use. Step back and look at the proportions of a piece, and think about te item as a whole: have the legs been shortened or added perhaps? have tiny drill-holes been added to pretend to be woodworm, or have any previous holes been filled? Many round tables may have once been square and vice versa. Older legs may have been added at a later date, or more recent mouldings & carvings could also look out of place.

 

Here’s a kitchen dresser I came across whilst looking for other plain oak examples. It’s a Welsh barn find, described as having “original carving” and being a “transitional piece circa 1700 so one of the first dressers as we know them a move on from the style of court cupboards tridarns and fidarns”.

I wasn’t too convinced, and it could be complete nonsense. It has a similar plain oak finish that doesn’t seem to have had any varnishing applied. Is this indicative of something c19?

 

Yes definitely a conclusion I have now come to. Lots of food for thought here thanks! I actually have a Georgian oval table that would have been rectangular but was crudely cut down by a Victorian I think.

 

It needs looking at properly by someone over here who knows English furniture. It's had a hard life, the patina has been shot to hell by poor environment.