19th Century Sideboards
SIDEBOARDS
The sideboard, as distinct from the side table or sideboard table, is generally attributed to Robert Adam, who showed his first designs some time after 1760. The original design contains within it, when the side pedestals are removed, the nucleus of the eighteenth century sideboard and its later developments.
The Adam brothers were dedicated to Roman and Greek classical forms. The pedestals at each side of the piece had vase-shaped urns which were for iced water for drinking and hot water for washing silver. The pedestals were used as a plate warmer and cellaret (wine store) respectively. The central section, without the pedestals, is the form we generally associate with later Georgian sideboards, with or without the brass gallery at the back. Shearer and Hepplewhite illustrated pedestal types and so did Sheraton.
In later designs, like Gillows, the side cupboards of the central section became drawers and later still, in the Regency period, the side sections were extended downwards to form cupboards. The proportions of these later sideboards became heavier as a result.
From the mid-nineteenth century onwards the sideboard became either a solid-doored cabinet of long proportions with or without carved decoration, or in emulation of the famous ‘Chevy Chase’ exhibition piece of 1857-1863, highly carved in oak or mahogany with fruit, deer, rabbits, birds and other game.
At the end of the nineteenth century the return to eighteenth century designs produced some rather good quality reproductions in mahogany, satinwood and satin maple.
Value points:
Colour and patination
Carved and inlaid decorations Figured woods and satinwood
Width under 5ft.
Tambour shutter to eighteenth century types
A mahogany break-front sideboard with inlaid ebony stringing lines in key-type patterns of Egyptian influence. Square tapering legs also inlaid with the black stringing line.
The handles are probably replacements of a standard modern reproduction type with stamped urns. The originals would probably have been lion mask types, like those on 632.
1800-1810
A break-front mahogany sideboard with a sliding door, also with inlaid black stringing lines in key patterns, but this time on turned legs and with a reeded lower section repeated around the top edge. Lion mask brass handles. 1810-1830
A large bow-fronted sideboard with brass back rail and turned and reeded legs with carved leaf decoration at the top. Still an elegant piece. 1820-1840
A small compact example with well-selected veneers. The decoration is handled with restraint and the piece is a desirable one. Nevertheless one can see in it the ancestor of well-made but unsaleable larger ugly pedestal sideboards made from 1850 onwards. 1835-1845
The final Regency development the deep drawers have reached the floor and the lion masks and hairy paw feet of classical design are incorporated. The choice of veneers is still very good. 1820-1840
Another late Regency or early Victorian version, with spirally turned columns of purely decorative function and turned bulbous feet. High quality veneers. 1830-1850
Break-front example with turned legs and ornate gallery. The end of the road for this elegant design. What will probably happen is that the gallery will be cut down (as it cannot be removed without leaving marks) unless cross-banded, and brass handles will replace the buns. If it had really good veneer, tapering legs would be a possibility. c. 1830
A simple mahogany side cabinet incorporating the flattened arch design very popular from the 1840s. One has only to remove the middle section to drop the price to 60 90 and still hard to sell.
A ‘Chevy Chase’ type sideboard with highly carved decoration. The type of piece made for exhibitions to demonstrate the technical ability of the manufacturer. Normally of such huge proportions that it is inconceivable in the normal domestic environment, quite apart from the off-putting subject matter, but it appeals to certain European taste, for example Bavarian. 1840-1880
Tags: chevy chase, cupboards, eighteenth century, hepplewhite, Mahogany, mid nineteenth century, oak, pedestal, pedestals, robert adam, sideboard, sideboard table, Sideboards