Charlecote Antiques in Kansas City sells fine English antique furniture & objets d'art

Sheraton (1780-1860)

Historical --- A genius of great versatility, Thomas Sheraton, was an inventor, author, artist, mechanic, teacher, preacher and furniture designer. Considered be many as the greatest furniture designer of all, his style was the last of the five great styles of the 18th century, a time referred to as the golden age of English cabinetwork. Not a master craftsman himself, he exerted a tremendous influence of furniture craftsmen through the designs in his four books. These designs, which are now characterized as the Sheraton style, were very much an anthology of other men’s ideas –Adam, Shearer, Hepplewhite, and the Louis XVI style. (These influences produced the “Early Sheraton” style for which he best remembered, and which is in marked contrast to the “Late Sheraton” style wherein his designs were influenced by the French Directories and French Empire styles.) Sheraton is considered to have built the first twin beds, roll-top-desk, kidney-shaped tables and dual-purpose furniture. Sheraton was a man of brilliant abilities but largely due to his eccentric character, never attained financial success and his life was one of abject poverty and disappointment.

General attributes --- Sheraton’s design can best be defined as slender, refined, and delicate – even dainty – in appearance but structurally sound and durable in construction. All pieces are well proportioned, straight lines predominating although curves are used to good effect in pieces such as sideboards, Ornament was graceful, delicate and elegantly refined. Inlay and marquetry are extensively used for decoration, also classical carvings of urns, lyres, ferns, and shell and drapery swags. Graceful oval panels of richly figured veneered wood were especially characteristic of Sheraton’s design. Sheraton produced mahogany furniture for dinning rooms, bedrooms, libraries, rosewood, satinwood, and painted furniture for drawing rooms. Upholstering fabrics included plain, striped and flower satins, silks and damasks and occasional use of cane.

Chairs --- Chair are finely proportioned have a splendid distribution of ornament and convey a most fragile delicacy. Legs are slender fluted, round or square, tapered down to natural or spade feet. Early Sheraton chairs backs are square or rectangular with delicately carved openwork design of fretwork panels, urns, lyre or turned posts, shields or cane. Splats do not extend to the seat rail but are supported on a horizontal crosspiece raised several inches above the seat. The top rail of the chair back was commonly straight. Arms rests curve gracefully out from back to front supports, which are usually continuations of the front legs. Seats are rectangular, nearly square, but taper slightly toward the back. In upholstered chairs, Sheraton – differing from Hepplewhite – allowed the seat frame to show as visible support for cushioning.

Sideboards and Tables --- Both have slender tapered legs, similar to chairs, usually without stretchers. General lines of sideboards are straight with convex curves on corners and front (in contrast to Hepplewhite’s designs which have concave curves at corners). Concealed in the sideboard interior were various small drawers, shelves and boxes. Sheraton designed many types of tables. Some have tripod pedestal bases, others have drop leaves. Oval tops appear on occasional pieces. Secretaries are delicate and well proportioned. Bookcases often have shaped pediments and curved traceries on glazed doors. Sofas are graceful with light, slender legs.

Suggestions For Use --- Extensively reproduced today, the Sheraton style combines well with other late Georgian, Louis XVI and Duncan Phyfe styles.