Category: Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Did you know that a spill vase was used to hold rolled paper or sticks and not flowers?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Mill House Antiques Spill Vase

Prior to the advent of matches, spill vases were placed on mantels from which a stick or rolled paper would be lit from the fireplace and used to light candles, lamps or even pipes. Spill is derived from the Middle English word spille or small piece of wood. The earliest example of a spill vase goes back to the 1500s and they were commonly found in English homes in the 18th and 19th centuries.

While utilitarian in nature, spill vases were often highly decorative and made in various materials, including, brass, porcelain and pottery. Take this wonderful Staffordshire spill vase with its quaint country theme. The wonderful metaphorical composition of the cow and the calf next to the dead tree, which serves as the vase, is an excellent example of Victorian ornamental design. This and other fine spill vases can be found only at Mill House Antiques.

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Did You Know?

Did you know that a housekeeper’s cupboard was more than a place to store linens?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Did you know that a housekeeper’s cupboard was more than a place to store linens?  These large and imposing pieces of furniture with drawers below and cabinets on top also stored the best china and glass, and occasionally, the more valuable staples, such as tea and coffee. Generally under lock and key, it was the head housekeeper, much like Mrs. Hughes in Downton Abbey, who oversaw the contents.

While most of these cupboards were utilitarian in their appearance, some were crafted to reflect the status of the household.  Take this superb housekeeper’s cupboard with such fine details as mahogany crown moulding and banding, as well as a fusee clock.  It must have come from a rather well-to-do manor house, but can only be found now at Mill House Antiques.  More than an ordinary experience.

Mill House Antiques Cupboard

 

Did You Know?

Did you know? Austro-Hungarian cabinet makers were considered some of the finest

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Did you know that 19th century Austro-Hungarian cabinet makers were considered some of the finest across the continent?  Rightly so, as they took great pride in their work and went the extra mile by hand carving a moulded edge along the inner edges of drawers — something rather unique for cabinet makers of that period.

Take this fine example of a chest of drawers from Budapest that incorporates a drop down secrétaire.  With its handsome walnut root veneer and wonderful brass, the quality of its construction is readily apparent on the outside, but one look inside shows the careful attention to detail rarely seen in chests and found only at Mill House Antiques.  More than an ordinary experience.  #millhouseantiques #antiques

 

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Did you know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Did you know that a tramp freighter was so named for its itinerant travels and not the promiscuous nature of its sailors? Without a set itinerary, the tramper would sail between ports usually with a single cargo. While quite numerous from the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s, tramp freighters became obsolete as larger cargo vessels were required following WWII.

After reading the ship’s log, one could easily conclude that the S.S. Alyestone was indeed a tramp freighter, or perhaps the original love boat. The ship’s log provides a long list of doctor visits by various seamen for, shall we say, “personal reasons.” Not only can you discover this wonderful ship builder’s model at Mill House Antiques, but you can also find excerpts from the ship’s log. More than an ordinary experience.

Mill House Antiques Ship

 

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Do you know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Do you know what the difference is between these two superb dining tables? About 225 years.

In 1789 you could have walked into an English cabinetmaker’s shop and selected the dining table of your choice. At Mill House, you still can – be it antique or custom. In fact, our custom tables are handcrafted with the same traditional 18th century methods that have stood the test of time. Choose from a variety of styles and sizes in mahogany, yew, walnut and cherry.

Whether you are looking for an antique or custom dining table, at Mill House you will not be disappointed.

Contact us at info@millhouseantiquesandgardens.com for more information.

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Did You Know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

 

Knole Settee, Mill House Antiques

Did you know that 57% of Downton Abbey’s Facebook Fans are from the US and only 13% are the from UK?

Did you also know that the red sofa that is often at the center of comings and goings in Downton’s library is called a Knole settee or sofa?  It is so named for the Knole House in Kent, which first summoned its construction.  Originally, the Knole settee was a monarch’s throne.  With its high sides and back, a monarch would be protected by the nasty drafts that filled the halls of these great manors.  And when it was time for a royal nap, the tassels over the corner finials could be removed and the sides folded down for a power 30.  Indeed, the Knole settee certainly gave the occupier a sense of grandeur.  No wonder, Lord Crawley is often found quietly nestled in his Knole settee in the library.

While not everyone can claim heir to an ancestral home, one can certainly lay claim to this magnificent Knole Settee that can only be discovered at Mill House Antiques.

Designers – contact us for a personal tour of new items.  203.263.3446 or info@millhouseantiquesandgardens.com

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Did You Know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

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Did you know that peat was commonly used as a heat source in England and Scotland as well as Ireland?  When harvested from the bogs, peat, which is decayed vegetation, would be dried in large stacks prior to being burned.  For many living in the countryside during the 19th century, peat was an indispensable means for heating a home.  Due to the light nature of the dried peat, a special bellows was developed to deliver a constant but gentle flow of air to keep the flame alive without blowing the peat all over the stove.

In fact, the same principle for moving air is incorporated in many of today’s vehicles.  While modern fans are designed to be more efficient, we prefer this handsome, old fashion peat bellows found in the upper reaches of Wales and available only at Mill House Antiques.

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Did you know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Wine Cellaret from Mill House Antiques

Did you know that a cellaret or wine cooler was quite an important piece of furniture? For those who had not yet acquired an Adam sideboard, where the wine could be stored in a pedestal cupboard, a cellaret served as an essential place to store wine once it was removed from the cellar but not yet not ready for pouring. Since the wines were often chilled prior to their pouring, cellarets were lined with a lead liner to contain the ice and its melt. The size and design of cellarets varied widely from open oval designs to octagonal shaped ones with covers. Most were on legs, which is why today they function wonderfully as end or side tables.

Take this handsome cellaret in burl walnut sitting atop cabriole legs ending in pad feet. While its lead liner has long disappeared, this cellaret itself can still be discovered at Mill House Antiques.

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Did You Know?

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Did you know that a seaman’s chest not only spoke about his skill as a sailor but his life as well?

When a seaman set sail for distant lands aboard cramped vessels, he would stuff all his belongings in a small wooden chest.  Such chests would represent the entirety of a sailor’s worldly life including sentiments of family and home.  Sometimes a sailor would decorate the inside with a painting of home or his vessel, but always a sailor would display his seamanship in the rope handles he would tie on the ends of the chests.  Fore, no sailor was worth his weight in ballast if he could not tie a proper knot!

Take this fine example of a 19th century Welsh seaman’s chest with its finely tied rope handles and canted sides.  Such wonderful examples can only be found at Mill House Antiques.  www.millhouseantiquesandgardens.com.

Make Mill House Antiques a destination soon.

Did You Know?

Did you know? … one of the earliest forms of container shipping was..

Mill House Antiques & Gardens

Mill House Antiques Campaign Chest

Did you know that one of the earliest forms of container shipping was the campaign or military chest?  With the onset of the Napoleonic War and continuing through much of the 19th century, British military officers often found themselves being shipped off to the far corners of the Empire.  So too were their belongings. With the heavy-duty side handles, flush drawer handles and brass fittings, these two-part chests were designed to be endlessly loaded and unloaded.  And what sets this chest apart from the majority is the secretaire–a rare and valuable feature.

While you can only imagine the distant lands to where this stunning teak campaign chest has ventured, you can be certain to discover it only at Mill House Antiques.

Make Mill House Antiques a destination soon.

You can also visit our main website at www.millhouseantiques-ct.com.