Antique Furniture

The William and Mary period is short, concise and easily understood. Especially compared to the preceding Jacobean period. Because it lasts a mere 14 years, styles did not have the opportunity to run through numerous changes.

With the names of William and Mary we associate one clearly defined type of furniture -- hooded tops, ogeed and flat arch aprons, straight cup turned legs and shaped stretchers.

At the same time there is enough variety and evolution to make the period one of intense interest.

Between the arrival of William and Mary and Queen Anne's accession, we can see a marked increase in popular appreciation of refinement and simplicity. Queen Mary herself wielded an immense influence on the public taste, and it was she who gave the initial impetus to china collectin, which in turn affected furniture types as well as social customs.

The Queen had excellent taste in furnishings, and her taste, through its dominance in court circles, had great weight in setting the style for the whole kingdom. Of course, with a dutch ruler on the thrown, it's not surprising to see Dutch styles and influences everywhere in vogue in this period.
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