Antique English Regency Rosewood Canterbury Magazine Sheet Music Paper Rack Tidy Stand (Circa 1830)

Summary:

• Item: Regency Canterbury
• Circa: 1830
• Period: Regency
• Provenance: England, UK
• Wood: Rosewood
• Carved scroll front panel
• Shaped Pierced fretwork panel dividers
• Ring-turned bars
• Three compartments
• Hand-dovetailed mahogany lined drawer
• Original turned mahogany drawer knob
• Original detachable threaded baluster legs
• Original brass collars & castors
• Stunning quality
• Original polish & patination
• Excellent original condition
• Solid in joint
• Free delivery to mainland England, Wales & Southern Scotland*
• 14-day free UK returns policy 

Description:

This is a fine quality antique English Regency Canterbury, constructed from rosewood, featuring scroll fretwork panels, with detachable legs, circa 1830, in excellent original condition.  Originally designed to store sheet music papers, it makes a wonderful modern storage rack / caddy, for stowing magazines, newspapers and books.  The front of the rosewood Canterbury is decorated with an elegant carved scroll panel, divided into three compartments, by four pierced shaped dividers, which reflect the shape of the front panel.  The divides are secured by fine ring-turned horizontal spindles.  The compartments are ideal for storing magazines, newspapers or music sheets.  Below is a moulded base, featuring a single drawer, constructed with hand-dovetailed drawer linings whilst retaining its original drawer knob.  The Regency Canterbury is raised on its original baluster shaped turned rosewood legs, retaining the original quality brass castor collars and wheels.  A sign of the quality of this Regency Canterbury, is the fact the legs were designed to be removed for storage or transportation, with the incorporation of rosewood threaded dowels.  The rosewood Canterbury has been constructed from the finest rosewood timbers.  During the Regency period, England was importing the best quality materials from around the globe, to construct its furniture.

This Regency Canterbury boasts a gorgeous mellow colour; It has a fantastic colour and patination, which can only be achieved through age and years of care and cleaning it has received.  This antique storage caddy would look great in the living room, hallway or bedroom of any home in either a contemporary or traditional settings.  It is a useful piece of furniture for magazines, paper or sheet music storage.  This antique storage box would complement any home, so don’t miss out on your chance to own a lovely piece of furniture.

History of the “Canterbury”:

A Canterbury is a low, open-topped stand with vertical slatted partitions that frequently was designed with a drawer beneath and sometimes, was built with short legs and occasionally on casters, intended for holding sheet music, plates, and serve ware upright, now often used as a magazine rack.  Originally found in England during the 1780s, from about 1800 they were made in mahogany, and later, in rosewood and walnut.  Later, nineteenth-century versions sometimes were taller and were made in brass or combinations of metal and wood.

According to Thomas Sheraton the derivation of the name of this furniture item is that a “Bishop of the Episcopal See first gave orders for those pieces” to be built.  By the 1860s, the Canterbury was considered a status symbol within wealthier homes.

Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806), an English cabinet-maker who is credited as having a significant influence over furniture design of the late 18th century, appears to be the first to use the name Canterbury in his 1803 book ‘The Cabinet Dictionary’. Other key examples of Canterbury designs are included in George Smith’s ‘A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration’ from 1808 and John Claudius Loudon’s ‘The Encyclopaedia of Cottage, Farm, Villa Architecture’ in 1834. The Canterbury began life as a simple, functional piece of furniture but grew more elaborate with time and remained popular throughout the Victorian and Edwardian periods.

It is also important to note that during this period, sheet music was made more widely available due to new printing processes and so the design of such a piece of furniture seems inevitable, to sit by the piano.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canterbury_(furniture)

Source: https://www.thestar.co.uk/retro/antique-column-the-canterbury-a-very-useful-cabinet-491233

Dimensions:

Height = 50cm / 19¾” / 1ft 7¾”
Width = 51cm / 20 ⅛” / 1ft 8⅛”
Depth = 40cm / 15¾” / 1ft 3¾”
Partition Height = 20.5cm / 8⅛”
Partition Depth = 22cm / 8⅞”

Condition Report:

This is a fine quality antique English Regency Canterbury, constructed from rosewood, featuring scroll fretwork panels, with detachable legs, circa 1830, in excellent original condition.  Nominal old use marks to the leading edges but nothing significant considering the age of the item.  The Canterbury has a fantastic colour and patination; having been cleaned and professionally French polished by hand in our workshop. The panels are complete, with no missing sections or brakes. The drawer retains the original mahogany knob and original mahogany drawer linings, displaying fine hand dovetailing. The Regency Canterbury is raised on its original baluster shaped turned rosewood legs, retaining the original quality brass castor collars and wheels.  This storage box has been constructed from the finest materials; it is solid in joint and ready to use.

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Ref. 112090