Furniture Makers Marks English

When buying antique furntiure it is important to look out for pieces stamped with the mark of their maker to help date and vaule a piece.

Furniture makers marks english.

This list may not reflect recent changes learn more. Maker s marks on british antique furniture. American furniture styles have seen a significant number of style periods since the early colonial era with each period being to some degree influenced by the pieces being built in europe generally england and france. Such a marking or label may have been placed inside a drawer on an old dresser on.

A telltale sign of the furniture s maker is a manufacturing tag label or stamp bearing the name of the creator. The mark has the roman numerals iv at the top of the mark if it is for a ceramic. English usage is documented from before 1712 the latest working date for john guilbaud at the crowne and looking glasse in long acre in london. They may be stamped in a variety of ways and often in more than one place.

It is easy to tell when the ceramic was made. But the british furniture industry is experiencing a renaissance combining an unparalleled history of craftsmanship quality materials and eccentricity with a more modern pulse. Beginning around mid century the advent of the factory system meant most furniture was made in a commercial facility under the auspices of a company name and very few individual craftsmen labeled. But most makers of the early period either scrawled their name or mark under a drawer somewhere or didn t bother to mark their products at all.

If you find a mark you can look it up in one of various reference guides. An identification stamp called a maker s mark is often placed in one of these hard to see areas. Labels printed on paper are the most widely recognized form of furniture makers marks. Identifying antique american furniture styles.

Pine birch maple and walnut. Early colonial 17th century. The diamond shaped english registry mark was used by the english patent office since 1842 to identify pieces of english pottery porcelain and other products. In france a strict guild corporation insisted on stamping and verifying every single piece of furntiure that was made.

In theory the distinctive symbol known as the maker s mark identifies the company or craftsman that created a piece of furniture. How much earlier guilbaud may have used this label is unknown. These papers often give the date of manufacture location of the factory in which the piece was manufactured and the name of the maker. Hybrid of english styles with square lines solid construction.

The marks and library website maintains a list of books and online references.