historical copies and designs
Most replications I've sold are to museums open to the public that feature period design between 1450-1650. Notably are Barley Hall in York, Mary Queen of Scotts house in Jedburgh, Tenby National trust house in Pembrokshire, Tretower Courthouse in Wales and the Scottish National Museum in Edinburgh who asked for a Pictish Throne.
The vast majority of original early furniture has long since disappeared and this leaves replication limited. Paintings and manuscripts make useful background research, however nothing beats getting close to the real thing and museums such as the V&A have good items to study. The craftsman's tool can be detected on the surface where modern sandpaper has not passed and original tool used revealed. This is a vital clue to the making of replications to high spec.
Two museums in the Scottish borders Mary Queen of Scotts House and Gala House display collections of my replications. In the space of some decades, natural ageing has taken place and the oak has mellowed considerably. Seating is expected to be used by visitors.
Slide show below shows examples of commissions to historical houses and museums open the public.
This focus upon making furniture without using large machinery and retaining the hand finish from simple tools has become a bedrock of my contemporary work. Sourcing the wide boards once used (in chests and cupboards for instance) and making them stable in modern housing has been a challenge in an age when the norm is to avoid solid wood entirely for the reliability of MDF.
The skills necessary for this work have not been taught in furniture for many decades/or centuries. So a period making historical commissions has given me both an income at the beginning and a learning background on using solid timber in contemporary design with hand-craft emphasis. I have been concentrating for many years on my own designs and have found material originally sourced for these demanding replica projects has unique qualities for more contemporary directions in craftsmanship.
The skills necessary for this work have not been taught in furniture for many decades/or centuries. So a period making historical commissions has given me both an income at the beginning and a learning background on using solid timber in contemporary design with hand-craft emphasis. I have been concentrating for many years on my own designs and have found material originally sourced for these demanding replica projects has unique qualities for more contemporary directions in craftsmanship.