From the monthly archives:

October 2008

William Fischer Hawaiian Kou and Koa Center Table

October 30, 2008

This koa and kou wood center table was made by William Fischer around 1869. A very similar table was ordered at the time by Governer Dominis. Dominis was an American-born statesman who became Prince Consort of the Kingdom of Hawai’i upon his marriage to the last reigning monarch, Queen Lili’uokalani. Using kou wood was an [...]

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Mark Twain’s Hawaiian Furniture – F. N. Otremba

October 28, 2008

Continuing on with the topic of Hawaiian carved furniture comes two pieces made by F. N. Otremba.
Otremba was commissioned by the Hawaii Promotion Committee to carve a mantel for Mark Twain’s new home, “Stormfield” in 1908. The job cost $300 and at the time was described as “one of the handsomest pieces of furniture ever [...]

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Kilian Brothers Inlaid, Gilt-Incised, Ebonized Parlor Table

October 26, 2008

There’s something about Kilian Brothers pieces that make them some of my favorites. Their heavy mix of ebonization, polychrome paint (in some cases), heavy use of gilt-incising and Neo-Grec styling is very appealing to me and resulted in me adding one of their pieces to my collection a while back.
Thanks to a Rare Vic reader, [...]

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Rosson House in Phoenix, AZ

October 24, 2008

While on business travel in Phoenix, AZ, a colleague suggested that we have dinner at the restaurant that Oprah anointed as the best pizza in America – Pizza Bianco. We waited 2 1/2 hours and we overheard that two women nearby waited 4 hours for takeout pizza!
But it was good. Very good.
The guy turns away [...]

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Hawaiian Furniture And Cabinetmakers Of The Victorian Era

October 21, 2008

Aloha. Eh, howzit braddahs. Da kine. Wot, you neva kno Hawaii get planny Victorian furnicha over dis side of da kai? You tink we all jus set one okole on grass mats or wot? Den wop yo jaw cuz we get choke. An da best kine all made out o da [...]

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Why Victorian Antique Furniture Gets A Bad Rap

October 17, 2008

Holy Moly. Now I know why people who aren’t fans of Victorian antique furniture look at pieces from the period and condemn it’s over-the-topness. Technically this piece is probably very late Victorian Renaissance Revival style.
This sofa is part of a set that Fontaine’s will be selling on the 18th and it is a Victorian-hater’s nightmare. [...]

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Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival Two-Piece Parlor Set

October 15, 2008

Fotaine’s has this two-piece Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival parlor set coming up for sale on October 18th. Of the P&S ER sets that were ever made, this is a more conservatively styled design without too much over-the-top Egyptian elements to either delight or shock visitors to your home.
As I mentioned in November of [...]

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