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antique, antique periods, antiques, art, cabriole, cabriole legs, carved wood, carving, Colonial, craftmanship, Dutch, Early America, Early American, furniture, furniture history, hardwood, history, independence, interior design, mbw furniture, New England, Queen Anne, rentals, Solid wood furniture, style, United Stated
Before the Declaration of Independence and the United States, early settlers depended upon European style and techniques for cabinetmaking. Because the barriers of early North America were constantly changing, many other cultures also influenced the construction of the time. Early American furniture and Colonial style reflect popular elements of design from England and Europe in a much more conservative and much less ornate manner.
The settlers who landed at Plymouth Rock could not bring a great deal of furniture with them on the journey across the Atlantic. After settling in to their new environment, woodworkers began utilizing the overabundance of timber for every manner of basic household furniture. In New England, cabinetmakers emulated facets of Gothicism, no doubt inspired by the Gothic elements of English furniture at the time. Instead of intricate details and traditional construction materials, New England craftspeople chose simple carvings and scrollwork as well as mortise-and-tenon joinery instead of glue and nails.
New England Corner Bar w/ Marble Top & Brass Rails
The Dutch, like others of the time, claimed lands in the Northeast and Southeast regions of North America during the 17th Century. Despite leaving a hundred years before the formation of the United States, the Dutch influenced Early American and Colonial furniture for years. Dutch Colonial style utilized and showcased heavy lumber, usually with paintings or carvings of flowers and fruits. Food was a common motif at the time as it was a sign of prosperity and success in the New World. Ladder-back and fiddle-back chairs come from Dutch Colonial style.
The era of Queen Anne was and is a common source of inspiration for cabinetmaking and furniture construction. The style heavily influenced American Colonial and persisted well into the 18th Century. The resulting furniture was like that of New England: wood with simple carving and detailing. Cabriole legs, s-curved like those of animals, and claw-and-ball feet were hallmarks of Queen Anne style, so Early American artisans often included those elements when designing furniture.
While regions and countries often influence one another in terms of the arts, architecture, design, and woodworking, England and Europe did so especially because Early American woodworkers and cabinetmakers needed somewhere to start. Those pioneering craftspeople looked back across the Atlantic for inspiration and direction resulting in the melting pot that is Colonial and Early American style.
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