Oak Furniture: The British Tradition

*The standard work of reference on the subject, consulted by dealers, collectors, auctioneers, valuers and students of furniture*Provides an amazing range of superb illustrations with a clear classification of the furniture, all within the context of the period*Contains a pictorial index with items arranged in chronological order for quick and easy identificationVictor Chinnery's scholarly work covers the history and development of furniture in oak and kindred timbers in the British Isles and New England, from the Middle Ages through to 1800. The subject is broken down into a logical sequence of aspects and each section is generously illustrated. The furniture shown ranges from the finest examples of the period, to the sort of sturdy and workmanlike pieces which modern collectors will find affordable. The study of oak furniture is a remarkably rich and varied subject, which reflects at several levels the social and domestic life of many generations of our ancestors. Victor Chinnery has explored and clarified many important topics, whilst fully realizing that scholarship in this field is still very much in its infancy.One of the most profound influences on the appearance of furniture in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was the system of rigid demarcations operated by the different furniture making trades, and in which the work of the joiners was the most important. The author explains the techniques and materials of the different trades, as well as other considerations of vital interest to the modern collector and curator. The furniture of Connecticut and Massachusetts in the seventeenth century is presented as an extension of the range of styles to be found in other English provinces at the same date.

Chinnery's book remains a significant summary of its subject, covering forms, materials, techniques, finishes, regional styles, and social history in a thorough manner... it remains a good place to start for learning about furniture of its period. Maine Antique Digest