About Gothic Furniture

History

• Gothic furniture originated in England during the Gothic Revival period and gained popularity in the United States around 1850. Prominent Gothic furniture designers during the 19th century included Alexander Jackson Davis, Thomas Chippendale and Augustus Pugin. Furniture designs were directly influenced by the Gothic architecture of the past with ornate carving and a heavily favored foliage motif for ornamentation.

Identification

• The foliage motif that was characteristic of Gothic furniture varied from uncomplicated to extremely detailed designs. Some of the more notable features of Gothic-style furniture include the renowned pointed arches, gargoyles, rosettes, real and imaginary animals and misshapen figures. The ball flower, a floral motif with three or four lobes and a ball in the hollow center, was another common Gothic ornamentation. In addition, Gothic furniture can be identified by the use of the popular Gothic trefoil (three-lobed shape), quatrefoil (flower design with four petals), and cinquefoil (five arcs).

Other Features

• Gothic furniture of the 19th century tended to be quite large and heavy. It was considered to be formal-style furniture and was the preferred style for churches. Upholstered pieces were typically created with heavy fabrics like leather, velvet or brocade. Generally Gothic furniture was made from darker wood or finished with dark stains and fitted with metal mountings, hinges and lock cases.

Tracery

• Tracery was the ornamental stonework that could be found supporting the glass in the head of windows in Gothic architecture. The stonework was formed into a pattern often times with trefoils, cinquefoils, interlocking bars or ribs resembling the folds of a fan. Tracery work was widely used by wood carvers in the design of Gothic furniture and imitated the tracery windows of Gothic architecture. The linen-fold motif resembling a fan was widely used for embellishing the panels of chests and chairs.

Considerations

• If you favor furniture that makes a dramatic statement, Gothic furniture may be to your liking. There are several websites, such as RubyLane.com and QualityModernGothicFurniture.com that offer modern-day reproductions and antique pieces. Genuine Gothic furniture can be quite costly because of its superior craftsmanship and durability, sometimes selling for as much as $16,000 for one antique Gothic bookcase. You may be able to find less expensive replicas on a site like TheFind.com, but even some of the reproduction pieces are pricey.