When we think of "British antiques," we often associate them with aristocratic tastes.

Britain's magnificent antiques flourished largely due to the demand and patronage of the British aristocracy, which reached its peak in the 19th century.

At the beginning of the 20th century, British aristocratic society began to decline, and antique items were consequently affected by the changing times.

The British Aristocracy in the 19th Century

Until around the 19th century, many European countries, not just Britain, were ruled by aristocrats.

However, starting with the bourgeois revolutions (popular revolutions), exemplified by the French Revolution at the end of the 18th century, royalty and aristocrats across Europe gradually declined.

In Britain, bourgeois revolutions such as the 17th-century Puritan Revolution brought about changes such as the transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy. However, the power of the monarchy and aristocracy remained relatively strong in the 19th century, and it is said that fewer than 1,000 titled aristocrats owned about half of the country's land.

Britain was the first to successfully industrialize and overwhelmed other countries with its industrial power, earning it the title "the workshop of the world." It also held colonies around the world, including India, and was at its most prosperous during this period.

Around the 19th century, the British aristocracy possessed assets far greater than those of aristocrats in other European countries.

The Decline of the British Aristocracy

Even the British aristocracy, which had reached its peak of prosperity, gradually declined around the end of the 19th century due to the rise of the middle class and workers who had gained power after the Industrial Revolution, amid political class struggles.

The Burden of Inheritance Tax and World War I

Due to the policies of the Liberal government in 1894, real estate owned by major landowners, which had previously been exempt from inheritance tax, became subject to an 8% inheritance tax. This rate rose over time, reaching 40% by 1919.

The situation was further exacerbated by World War I in 1914–18.
Guided by the medieval spirit of "noblesse oblige," many aristocratic officers rushed to the battlefield at the outbreak of the war and lost their lives.

It is said that one in five aristocratic officers who fought in World War I lost their life.

Although Britain emerged victorious in World War I, many aristocrats lost their assets due to the high inheritance tax of 40%, especially those who lost their heads of households or heirs in the war.

Political Changes and Aristocratic Society

Although the power and wealth of the aristocracy had been maintained in Britain more than in other European countries, the Labour Party, a working-class party, formed a single-party government in 1924, six years after the end of the war, and aristocratic society rapidly declined.

In Japan, the British television drama series "Downton Abbey," broadcast by NHK, is set during the turbulent era of the British aristocracy from 1912 to 1925.

Antiques After the Decline of Aristocratic Society

The definition of an "antique" is generally considered to be "a work of decorative art that is at least 100 years old."

As it is now 2024, items made after the decline of the British aristocracy following World War I have gradually become antiques.

Items with commercial and industrial design characteristics, such as "Art Deco," which became popular around 1920, have also come to be included among antiques.
The center of Art Deco's popularity shifted from Europe to America, and American-made items now make up the majority.

As these products of the democratic era begin to meet the definition of antiques, the long-held image of "Western antiques = aristocratic taste" may gradually change in the future.

Summary

Western antiques, such as British antiques, are strongly associated with aristocratic taste, but we have entered an era where items made after the decline of aristocratic society gradually meet the antique standard of being "100 years old."

However, the definition of "100 years or more" itself is merely commonly accepted because it originated from the United States' Tariff Act of 1934, which stated that "import duties are not imposed on decorative arts at least 100 years old." In reality, there is no such clear definition.

Rather than being too tied to definitions of words, eras, and styles, I hope to faithfully pass on these beautiful works of art, which have been passed down through generations over a long period since they were made, to the next generation.