Mission-style furniture grew out the turn-of-the-century Arts and Crafts movement, which like Art Nouveau was a response to industrialization. During the Victorian Era, elaborate Rococo and Neoclassical furniture was churned out by factories. Artists, designers, scholars, and other thinkers of the day began to express disdain for both the frilly, ornate aesthetic of Victorian decor, as well as the low quality of machine-made items.
The lead thinkers of the Arts and Crafts movement, such as art critic John Ruskin and designer William Morris, both from England, called for a return to high-quality, hand-made furniture, crafted by artisans. They promoted a simpler, more natural, and more functional look, with clean lines and solid, heavy frames made of wood. They believed that furniture design should lack clutter and highlight the craftsmanship of the construction and the natural beauty of the materials.
In 1900, furniture designer Gustav Stickley, publisher of the influential magazine, “The Craftsman,” popularized this movement in the United States, launching his own Mission or Craftsman-style of furniture. Said to be based on the spartan furnishings of California’s Franciscan missions, the earthy, rectilinear style was characterized by thick lines of oak, with exposed mortise-and-tenon joints and little in the way of decorative carving.
The best examples of antique Mission-style furnishings, from chairs to tables to cabinets, often feature rows of narrow wooden spindles that create eye-pleasing parallel lines. The wood is varnished but never painted, and the upholstery is always of a natural, unembellished material such as dyed leather or canvas.
The great irony of Mission-style furniture is that even though the Arts and Crafts movement supposedly rejected mechanization, Stickley would used steam-powered or electric woodworking machines to get the wood ready for his pieces, which would then be hand-finished by his artisans. Below is a photo of a Mission style bench.
Don't forget to stop by the A.G.C.A.P. Dealer of the Month's booth located on Aisle 1 North Booth B-5. Tammy specializes in Primitive Antiques and she is always adding new & unique items to her booth. Below is just a sample of what she has to offer.
I am pleased to announce that we have set a date for the "ASK OUR EXPERTS" Appraisal Fair. It will be held on Saturday, April 21, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Again the cost per item is $5.00 with no limit on the number of items. Just a hint if you have a large piece of furniture, take a good photo and bring it in. If it has a removable piece bring that as well. This year we will have a clock "expert" as well, so make sure you mark this date on your calender. We also have in April our semi-annual bake sale. This will be held the day before Easter Sunday, so make sure you stop in and get some of our home-made goodies! In March we will be having a 1 day drawing. There will be 15 prizes. This 1 day drawing will be held on Saturday March 17, 2012. Tickets will be $1.00 each or 6 for $5.00. We plan on making this a very fun-filled day!
Last but not least......the weekly BLOG SPECIAL. Code word this week is "RAILROAD".
The special this week is an antique English Railroad bench. This bench's normal retail is $324.95, but if you mention the code word you can have it for only $$244.95. This offer is good Thursday February 23,2012 until 6:00 p.m. Wednesday February 29,2012. This bench is located on Aisle 4 North Booth I-10.
And don't forget...............Out with the New & In with the Old.........Buy Antiques
Check back next week and thanks for visiting our Blog!
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