Morley, John David The History of Furniture : Twenty-Five Centuries of Style and Design in the Western Tradition , New York, U.S.A.: Bulfinch, 1999.

Illustrated by 680 Illustrations, 173 in Colour. First Edition. Hard Cover. Very Good/Very Good. 4to 082122624X Can only post to a UK address due to the very heavy weight. No extra postage will be asked for. Dust jacket price clipped other than this complete. Red cloth with bright gilt titling. Previous owner's neat inscription on title. Frontis plate. 680 Illustrations, 173 in Colour. 352 pages clean and tight. The entire story of furniture is presented as it never has been before. Written with great verve and in a highly accessible style, The History of Furniture conveys a vast knowledge of history and design with stunning intellectual clarity. In surveying the development of furniture from antiquity to the present day, John Morley focuses on the Western traditions, but he includes the outside influences of China and Japan, India, Egypt, and Africa. His bravura analysis reveals connections between pieces of furniture, such as the direct line from antiquity to a neoclassical French commode, a Biedermeier dressing table, and a twentieth-century boic clair cocktail cabinet. The story is shaped by a conflict between "classical" and "anti-classical," order and fantasy, and includes the wild extravagances of exotic styles. We see how the simple challenge of making a chair to sit on could generate a huge variety of forms, depending not only on comfort and convenience but also on changing fashion in interiors, as well as motifs, ornaments, and ideas from the worlds of politics, religion, architecture, and the fine arts. Works by famous designers - Boulle, Chippendale, Riesener, Mackintosh, Eames - appear clearly in the context of the stylistic ideals of their times, and nearly 700 illustrations are closely integrated into the text. The result is not only an essential reference tool for everyone concerned with collecting, selling, or studying furniture and the decorative arts but also a tour de force of scholarship that will enthrall anyone with the least interest in the traditions of Western culture. (Book ref. 126663)  £30.00

The payment methods accepted by the seller, Charles Bossom , are shown in the right-hand column.

Click here to order

Back to search