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Sheraton Period 1790-1810
Thomas Sheraton: born 1751 Durham, England — died Oct. 22, 1806, London
There are only a handful of designers that end up having an entire period of design bearing their name. Next to Chippendale there are none more respected than Thomas Sheraton. The Sheraton antique chair is the pinnacle of symmetry and refinement.
Sheraton was a man of many talents. He was well known not only for drawing and design but also for writing, religeous writing to be exact.
Like Hepplewhite, Thomas Sheraton’s enduring mark on furniture design can be attributed to a landmark book. Sheraton’s book, The Cabinetmaker and Upholsterers’ Drawing Book is still used today and really helped usher in the Regency period. Over 600 cabinet makers subscribed to this multi volume work. This is why we state that his influence came more from his books than actual woodworking. Also like Hepplewhite, very little is known about his actual work. It is not even certain if he created any of his designs or confined himself to drawing and writing while letting others build the pieces. One thing that is certain is that he was never able to pull himself out of a life of poverty. Quite ironic when we consider the value of a ‘Sheraton’ piece today.
Now about the Sheraton antique chair.
His designs tended to have a strong symetrical feel. Sheraton designs are known for the details. He liked to adorn his chairs with carvings, paint and inlays. As his styles evolved and he began experimenting with the newly popular Empire style this trait went a little overboard. Some Sheraton Empire pieces are quite gawdy. But the periode bearing his name produce some trully remarkable works. Some of the best were produced by Duncan Phyfe, mentioned in our Empire period article. Phyfe was prolific and his work covered a few design styles but he is mostly considered a Late Sheraton designer. Back to the antique chair. Look for mahogany to be the wood of choice and Sheraton accented many pieces with brass.
To summarize, like Hepplewhite the period that bears Sheraton’s name was not done so as a direct reference of his products but by later historians to label a specific time period. Sheraton published a remarkable encyclopedia as well as a few other books describing not only his own designs but those that were popular at that time. So to think Sheraton we need not focus on the man and his antique chair but on the furniture made during the very early nineteenth century.
A typical Sheraton antique chair.
*check out The Antique Chair Exchange to match up missing elements in your sets.
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