Relevant categories: Bookcases,Fountains and Garden,Desks,Mirrors
(Above photo - Antique Fireplace - Victorian Gothic Carved Caryatids 1880 ) Most people associate Gothic architecture and art with mystery and darkness. During the middle ages, artists across Europe came up with several art pieces. It’s these art pieces that are usually referred to as old antiques. When you take into account furniture pieces, you are talking about straight, rigid, chairs with massive wood carvings. The preferred wood for the furniture was oak, owing to its high quality and full availability.
(Above photo - Pair Antique Church Pews - Victorian Gothic Bench 1860 ) The Gothic (or medieval) period spanning 1300 to 1500. The art, furniture, and architecture of that time came after the Romanesque (or classical Roman) style. During the classical period, designers operated in a structured, formulaic way. Not so for Gothic art, which was less structured. For that reason, Gothic antiques appear to be less refined than those that came before or after them. The distinctive nature of Gothic antiques is easy for anyone to spot.
The following are the features of the furniture made during the Gothic or medieval period.
1. Wood
(Above photo - Antique Gothic Desk Writing Table - Irish President Mary Robinson Oireachtas ) As we had observed earlier, the dominant wood during the Gothic period was oak. However, oak was preferred mostly in Northern Europe. In places like France, the most common wood was walnut. The furniture featured larger and thicker wood pieces. That’s why most of the Gothic furniture is massive and dominating.
2. Style
The primary focus of Gothic furniture is on the horizontal and vertical. You would hardly find any smooth edges or curves on these pieces of furniture. As such, the framework is mostly put together in conformity with straight lines and right angles. The furniture often features minimal decorative carvings.
3. Carvings
(Above photo - Gilt Gothic Mantle Mirror ) Gothic antique furniture often had decorative carvings, which is likely the beginning of the practice using ornate wood carvings to decorate furniture. The carvings often featured natural forms such as animals and flowers. You are likely to find forms such as maple leaves, cress leaves, as well as grape leaves. To make the carvings stand out, some designers painted them with colored paint. However, if you are buying Gothic antiques today, it is unlikely that the paint will still be intact.
4. Made For Use In Church
(Above photo - Gothic Stone Garden Urns - Octagonal on Pedestal Base Architectural ) In medieval Europe, the most dominant institution was the Catholic Church. It served as both a religious organization and government. For that reason, many of the antiques made at that time were for use in the church. Apart from church furniture, you will also find altars as well as screens. In fact, the modern church seems to have borrowed heavily from the Gothic period, given the way they make their furniture.
Are you looking for Gothic antiques to buy? If so, then you are likely to find furniture pieces that had been created for use by the wealthy. Whether you want chairs, tables, chests, and trunks, you will find what you want. One thing about Gothic furniture is that it could serve many purposes – seating, transport, and storage. Welcome to our antique shop for the best possible antiques from the Gothic period. We have a wide variety of antique furniture and other pieces of art.
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