Furniture - General

Antique furniture is an aesthetically pleasing and functional investment. Antique furniture values continue to rise. Popular pieces at auction include antique European and early American furniture. Increasingly, collectors are turning to online furniture auctions as an alternative to the traditional furniture auction to find antique furniture for sale.

Antique French furniture was originally influenced by the Italian Renaissance. Many French antique pieces remain popular today, including lavish styles from the Louis XII through Louis XVI, Empire, and Napoleon III periods. One of the most important French furniture artists of the late 19th century is Francois Linke, whose name is well known to high-end furniture auctioneers. Linke pieces are beyond embellished; they are the epitome of decadent French design. Collections of English furniture feature Gothic, Elizabethan, Queen Anne, Victorian, and Jacobean furniture for sale. Many elaborate examples of European furniture are included in museums and private collections.

Collectors of early American furniture may follow the Federal period or Colonial Revival pieces typical to Nathan Margolis furniture or Potthast furniture. Karpen furniture originates from Karpen Bros. Furniture Company in Chicago, which was considered a leader in upholstered furniture in the early 20th century. Irwin furniture of Grand Rapids, Michigan featured furniture suites of many different period styles with striking veneers.

Quick Facts

• A Jacobean walnut and oak center table realized a price of $8,625 at a Christie’s auction in 1995
• A five-piece mahogany parlor suite from Karpen sold for $19,000 at Grand View Antiques and Auction in 2006
• Bahut Marine, a French ormolu-mounted kingwood, satine, mahogany, and marquetry cabinet by Francois Linke realized a price of $1,233,891 at an auction by Christie’s of London in 2010