Rare Collectors Piece Antique Aesthetic Amboyna & Leather Games Table By Jas Shoolbred Circa 1870
A rare collectors piece of antique Aesthetic furniture by renowned Royal cabinet maker Jas/James Shoolbred. This spectacular Burr Amboyna antique games table dates from 1870. Stunning Amboyna figuring with ebonized edges and gilding. The top swivels open to double its size and reveals a black tooled leather playing surface under which can be found a concealed games storage compartment. This exceptional antique games table stands on four turned reeded legs with porcelain castors, X frame with central turned finial and an aged warm shade with a striking grain with fabulous patina. Original inset brass hinges with makers stamp and catalogue stamp. Furniture of this quality and provenance is a rare find. A real statement piece of furniture
The Aesthetic Movement in Britain (1860 – 1900) aimed to escape the ugliness and materialism of the Industrial Age, by focusing instead on producing art and furniture that was beautiful rather than having a deeper meaning – 'Art for Art's sake'. The artists and designers in this 'cult of beauty' crafted some of the most sophisticated and sensuously beautiful art and furniture of the Western tradition and in the process remade the domestic world of the British middle-classes.
From 1860 to 1900, the Aesthetic Movement initiated sweeping artistic and design changes and its modern concepts of middle-class lifestyle and domestic environment reverberate even into our own time. Today Aestheticism is acknowledged for its revolutionary renegotiation of the relationships between the designer and society, between art and ethics, and between the fine and decorative arts, all of which prepared the way for the art and design movements of the 20th century.
James Shoolbred and Co (aka Jas Shoolbred) were established in the 1820s at 155 Tottenham Court Road. It was originally a drapers supplying the furniture trade. In the late 1860s/early 1870s the company began designing, manufacturing and selling high quality furniture, of their own design. Their sophisticated designs referenced Regency aesthetics which were informed by antiquity - Greek/Roman styles.
The company's sales catalogue features guides to Victorian home owners about how to put room sets together to achieve a desirable aesthetic, 'a guide to good taste'. In the 1880s, Shoolbred had opened the city's first large department store on Tottenham Court Road, London. In the mid 1880s Schoolbred was granted a Royal Warrant, testament to the quality of their furniture. This games table is a show piece that is catalogued and signed/stamped by Shoolbred.
92cm width 49cm depth 85cm height 94cm open
As a genuine vintage/antique there is wear and use commensurate with age. Some wooden products may have signs of historic woodworm. As a precaution we apply a clear triple action woodworm treatment that also kills wet rot, dry rot and woodworm. Please look at all the images carefully and ask any questions pre purchase as we do not unfortunately offer refunds due to the size and shipping costs of our antiques/items. All our items are available on line at Search & Rescued and other online stores.