ANTIQUE ATTIC

CONTAINER arriving Thursday Morning!!!

2012-01-24T09:38:00.000-06:00

The new container has hit port and will be arriving Thursday morning the 26th! It takes a good 2 days to have it unpacked and assembled for the public so the following Saturday it should be ready for you guys to come and pick! The entirecontainer is first come, first served so if you have seen something in my previous posts that interests you come by or call to hold the piece, not for long though 8), and we can hopefully get some of these great pieces into your home!

PART III

2011-12-05T11:50:00.001-06:00

PART II

2011-12-05T11:40:00.000-06:00

More pics!

Click on a picture to enlarge the photo!

Pictures of the New Container! PART I

2011-12-05T11:34:00.000-06:00

Just got off the plane from another successful buying trip in Europe! I was in the "Low Countries" as it was referred to in centuries past. Now often referred to as Benelux. Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, northeastern France and Western Germany.

The Euro is still strong, but they are in the same financial debacle as us "westerners"! One Irishman I was, of course, having a drink with made a statement that I thought was astute to the symbiotic relationship of the American market to the rest of the world: "When the American market sneezes, the rest of the World gets a cold!" Long story short, I got great deals on pieces and am more than excited to pass it on to our great customers!

Check out my @constantcontact newsletter

2011-01-16T09:33:00.000-06:00

http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs029/1101795615922/archive/1104248041468.html

Player piano, empire table, oak curio-many new items!

2010-03-21T21:19:00.005-05:00

We have been busy buying an estate. New furniture items include a Starck player piano,small oak curio, marble top sideboard, pair of spool cabinets, mahogany bombe bedroom suite, American empire center table, Duncan Phyfe secretary and more. New glass items include: Candlewick stemware, collection of cranberry pitchers, huge amount of American Fostoria, and Westmoreland beaded edge fruit collection. New porcelain: Herend Rothschild claw footed urn/vase,Lenox Provence Green dinnerware, two large tureens with underplates, handpainted chargers and much more. Brave the detours and come enjoy browsing!

New Forms from Old Pieces Part II

2010-03-11T16:17:00.003-06:00

It started life as a brazier. A what? Thank God for Wikipedia...

A brazier is a container for fire, generally taking the form of an upright standing or hanging metal bowl or box. Used for holding burning coal as well as fires, a brazier allows for a source of light, heat, or cooking.

A customer wanted a unique coffee table, we obliged...

My dog, Aspen, is not included.

New Forms from Old Pieces...

2010-02-12T15:17:00.005-06:00

One of our customers had the vision of an antique island in his kitchen. My immediate response is "we don't have anything in the store that I think will work" WRONG.

We took an existing small French Walnut Cabinet in the Henri II style from the late 1800's and made it into an island with a wine rack in the bottom. Ingenious if I do say so myself. 8)

By taking the top off and repositioning it back to back with his bottom half, we got our main body of the island. Next, I took some good advice from a good friend and refashioned a new top entirely. Dressed out the trim with some good solid walnut, a splash of oil and wax and here is what we got...

I am waiting for the granite to be delivered and then someone will have a one of a kind piece in their kitchen to brag on...

Be like our customer, be creative. Everyone can buy a new piece of furniture that everyone on your street has as well, or you can take something with existing character and add your personal touch to it's history.

Can you tell I'm proud of it!?

What is a Trumeau Mirror?

2009-12-26T13:27:00.010-06:00

One of our favorite mirrors to buy in France is a trumeau, a large mirror set within a decorative panel often with an oil painting or wood carving above the mirror. Sometimes called overmantel mirrors, they can also be used in a foyer, hallways, stairwells, anywhere you need an elegant mirror. Pictured are a few of the selections we currently have in stock. Call for size or price, 334-792-5040.

Tantalus Set / Liquor Caddy

2009-10-13T15:44:00.002-05:00

Not sure if many of you have seen the Tantalus Set we have in the store. These are rarier than hen's teeth! Burled walnut box with brass inlay that opens into...

just a perfect small liquor caddy, aka tantalus set.

Some New Items to Come In...

2009-10-13T15:26:00.003-05:00

Glass Epergne. Perfect as a centerpiece or flower arrangement.

19th century Empire style table

Steamer Trunk from the late 1800's

American dry sink from the first quarter of the 19th century.

Italian Fireplace Mantle

2009-10-13T13:04:00.004-05:00

Here are some better pictures of the mantle... The grill is interchangable for off seasons.

Last of the pictures!

2009-10-05T15:22:00.001-05:00

Glad to be back in the good ole US of A!

Here are the last of the pictures. There are a couple more items, but I will need to get some better pics from the dealers in due time.

18th century Brass Mortar & Pestle

Spanish Pot Stand

All copper cooking pot

Spinning Wheel

19th century Bed Warmer

French Burled Card Table w/ Inlay

Butter Churn from mid 1800's

Pair of these Bronze Sconces

Glad to be back in the good ole USA!

Some of the best for last...

2009-10-01T11:24:00.002-05:00

20th Century Fireplace Mantle w/ top and grill!

Italian woodworker's bench from the mid 1800's.

I took soo many pictures of furniture and barely took any for pleasure. Here are some of the winners. Keep in mind these are with my camera phone 8)

Goes, Netherlands. Such a beautiful place.

Citroen DS. One of the prettiest designs in car history. Im not kidding...

1959 Ferarri 250 by Pininfarina.

Flying over the Alps into northern Italy.

Everywhere in Italy is photogenic, even cow fields.

Items from Italy... Don't forget you can click on a pic to make it larger!

2009-09-30T12:04:00.001-05:00

Pictures of Pieces from Belgium, France & the Netherlands

2009-09-30T11:37:00.001-05:00

Not all the pieces but some of the best!

Kettle warmer from 1800's. Best condition we have ever had!

Early coal caddy

Cutting block for traveling butcher. Dated 1660's

Foot stoves for cathedrals from the late 1700's

Linen Press from the late 1700's

Tantalus Set, Best I have ever seen!

Black Forest statue

19th century Swiss smoking stand

English chest on chest from late 1800's

A Black Forest flower stand

2 early 19th century bibles with sterling locks

GREAT STUFF!!!

2009-09-29T01:21:00.001-05:00

Leaving Belgium this afternoon and have gotten some great things! From armoires, foot stoves to a special cutting board from the middle of the 1600's. The array of stuff is great! Sorry for not uploading any pictures, but the internet was deathly slow here. Hopefully they will be up to speed in Milan. Ciao ciao.

Premier Arrive, Premier Servi

2009-09-22T10:37:00.000-05:00

Mother's trip is coming to a close and I am preparing to go to Belgium, France and Italy starting this weekend. A lot of customers have asked me to look for certain items while I am overseas and I wanted to let you all know to send me an email or leave a comment of some things you would be interested in seeing. I will try to keep the blog updated with the days purchases. It can be rough finding an easy place to upload and detail pictures, being as we are always on the go. But I will try my best! When it comes to the new pieces, we always say 'first come, first served'. So if you see anything you like, do not hesitate to call us up and put your name on it!

One city I will be buying in is Parma, Italy. If you wanna talk good food this place is a Mecca. Parmesan cheese originated in the region as well as 'parma ham' or as we call it 'prosciutto ham'. It is left in these drying areas for 2 to 3 months. Soooo good.

warren@antiqueatticdothan.com

You can't take her anywhere...

2009-09-17T11:59:00.000-05:00

without her bartering or trading with the locals!

Larger Pictures?

2009-09-15T18:55:00.002-05:00

Forgot to mention that if you click on the pictures, it goes to a larger and more detailed version.

Early 19th Century Girondelle Mirror

2009-09-15T14:20:00.008-05:00

Very Unique Gilt Gesso Girondelle Mirror.

Now what is a Girondelle? Simply it is a mirror with attached candle holders to help illuminate a room pre-light bulb era. So we are talking a 200 year old decorative object! History lesson time...

Oil lamps have been around for sometime, in one form or another. But the first version of what we know as a oil lamp was created in a Swiss lab around 1783. Everything from olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil and nut oil were used to provide fuel for lights. This was a huge jump on previous designs being as the oil was enclosed in a metal or glass housing with a glass chimney to keep you from burning your house down every night when you went for your midnight snacks. The very next year coal gas was introduced as a lighting fuel. The next jump came in the 1850's with the discovery of kerosene, aka parrafin oil. Only 20 years later, Thomas and his crew invented the first electric incandescent lamp. So in short that is why most of us have never heard the term "Girondelle Mirror", except maybe for the people of Girondelle, France where the idea for the lit mirror came from.

Back to Work...

2009-09-15T12:02:00.006-05:00

Another piece to come in is a Victorian Eastlake Rocking Chair. This walnut platform rocker is from the early 1900's and is just as smooth as it was 100 years ago!

It is argued about the first origins of the rocking chair started in England or Sweden in the early to mid 1700's. The idea of a rocker is much older, but it was used for things like baby cribs and such. It wasn't much later than the British that Americans took their existing Windsor chairs and refashioned the legs into what we now know as rockers. It might not have originated in America, but we definitely took to the design much more than the Europeans. Trivia Pursuit Fact: President Lincoln was shot while sitting in a Victorian Rocker at Ford's Theatre.

Not sure how many readers are woodworkers or wanna-be's like myself, but one of the best rockers ever designed was by a fellow named Sam Maloof. Sam passed away this year in May at the age of 93. He was still working on designs at the time of his death! He has been descibed as the "Hemingway of Hardwood" and has many of his designs in museums all across America. President Reagan had one in the White House during his presidency. Just perfect...

Pictures from Nairobi....

2009-09-15T11:55:00.004-05:00

Wanted to share some pictures sent this morning!

The title for this was one was simply "your cousin"...

Mary in Kenya!

2009-09-13T15:37:00.000-05:00

I'll put up some new pieces tomorrow, but I wanted to ask everyone to throw a small prayer in for my folks who are romping around Kenya at the moment! She will be out for two weeks, so come in for the good deals while she is gone! 8)

American Cylinder Front Desk & Secretary

2009-09-11T15:47:00.003-05:00

WOW! Best American pieces to come in the shop in a LONG time.

These speak for themselves.

SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLDSOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD SOLD

Above is a great example of great American craftsmanship. This Cylinder Desk is from around the middle of the 19th century. Its made from Victorian Walnut and has applied burl veneer. The guy we got it from was told it was made by Brooks Brothers, but i didn't know they made furniture? 8) Beautiful in person!

Its brother is a little younger, more likely from the late 19th or early 20th century and is in the Eastlake Style. Made of walnut and applied burl as well, it has had the embossed leather on the pull-out writing desk replaced in the last 10 years so has a new but aged look to it!

Named for Charles Lock Eastlake, the style came to fruition after the disdain for the Rococo and Renaissance Revivals of the Victorian age. It was widely popular from 1860-1890's. The usual motifs are lightly incised carvings and modest curves, the emphasis on wood grain and color is also very apparent in Eastlake furniture. A timeless classic.

French Rococo Armoire

2009-09-11T14:29:00.001-05:00

So here is the deal, I am going to post our new stuff and give some insight on styles and such, at least to the interesting pieces. A little trivia and history will be on order as well. Pay attention there will be a test at the end. Oh yeah I don't want to hear about my bad grammar

A new piece to come in this week is a Late 19th Century French Armoire in the Rococo-Style.

This piece is solid as a rock. It is made from French Walnut and lined with Bird's Eye Maple on the doors and shelves!

Rococo style furniture first came around during the early 18th century during the end of Louis the XIV (aka The Sun King) reign and the beginning of his son's rule, Louis XV. Trival Pursuit fact: Louis XIV still has the longest reigning monarch in world history with 72 years, 1643-1715. The Sun King was known for his heavy Baroque stylings and furnishings. So like most son's of great men, Louis the XV decided to go his own way in design. I forgot to mention that furniture styles, lets say pre-19th century, was largely based around what the King's of Europe and the Church commissioned for their palaces and cathedrals, they were the only people with money at the time 8)

The term Rococo is derived from the French word Rocaille, or rockwork and is a specific form of asymmetrical ornament composed of what might be referred to as melting frosting or small broken waves. We always refer to the common motif of the C-Scroll as seen below.

The period ended roughly at the same time that the discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum happened in 1738 and 1747 respectively. With these discoveries came a rebirth of interest in Classical designs that were being unearthed from the sites. So began the Neo-Classical Period.

So for a period of design that was only in style for 30 years or so, 1715-1745, its amazing to see how strong its influence is still was in the furniture of the 19th and 20th century.

First Post!

2009-09-11T12:48:00.003-05:00

We here at the Antique Attic are trying to keep with the times! We are going to update this blog every time new items come in and keep you up to date with the comings and goings of the shop! We hope this helps everyone who is interested in antiques in our corner of the world.