What is time division?

Period division is a term used to classify antiques according to the year of manufacture.

Britain's eras are named after the king who ruled over them.
Since it greatly reflects the background of the era and the tastes of the king at that time, the style changes with each era.

The following four styles are representative of British antiques.

1. Georgian (1714-1811)

2. Regency (1811-1837)

3. Victorian (1837-1901)

4. Edwardian / Edwardian (1901-1918)

There are older models such as "Baroque" and "Tudor", but there are few remaining antiques and they are not handled at our store, so we will omit them here.

1. Georgian (1714-1811)

In 1714, the Stewart dynasty ended, and George I, who came from Germany, took the throne.
After this, four generations of kings were named "George", so this era is called "Georgian".
However, the 1811-1837 era of George IV is quite different in style, so it seems that it is often divided into the "Regency" era, which will be explained later.

During this period, Europe was undergoing modernization, and Britain in particular experienced remarkable development due to the industrial revolution, trade, and colonial rule.
Tea and porcelain brought from India through the East India Company greatly expanded the British porcelain industry such as Wedgwood.
The technique of silver (silverware) was greatly developed by Huguenot (Calvinist) craftsmen who fled from France in the 17th century.
Crystal glass, which was invented in England, developed from Venetian glass, which had been the center of glasswork until then.

During this period, Britain, which had lagged behind in terms of art, was still influenced by continental European countries such as France and Italy, and the foundations of British styles were being established.

2. Regency (1811-1837)

The Regency means "regent" and was ruled as regent from 1811 to 1820 by the Crown Prince, who would later become George IV, replacing George III, who was unable to serve as king due to illness in 1811. It is attached from that.

There are various ways to divide it, but here the "Regency era" includes the period 1820-1830, which is the era of George IV, and the period 1830-1837, which is the younger brother of George IV, William IV.

George IV is a notorious spendthrift, not only using up the British royal fortunes, but also creating huge debts.
Since he was crown prince, he has spent a lot of money as a patron of architecture and art, which ironically has greatly developed British culture.

The luxuriously crafted architecture, furniture, and decorations are so sophisticated that everyone recognizes their beauty.

3. Victorian (1837-1901)

Queen Victoria ruled England for 63 years, from 1837, when she was 18, until her death in 1901.
During this period, Britain expanded its colonies around the world and reached the peak of its prosperity.

There is also a reaction from the Regency era when the people were against the excessive extravagance, and there is a tendency to prefer a solemn and serious style.
Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840 and had nine children and built a happy family. It seems that he was wearing

In some cases, the period up to around 1870 is divided into the early Victorian period and the period from 1871 onwards as the late Victorian period.

In the early Victorian period, retrospective styles such as Gothic Revival, which is a retrospective to the Gothic style of the Middle Ages, and Neoclassical, which imitates the Greco-Roman period, were popular, and many designs were quite decorative. is.

In the late Victorian era, the middle class (middle class), which had made a fortune in the Industrial Revolution, emerged from the time when royalty and aristocrats were the center of attention, and mass production spread interiors and crafts to various people. .
Since Queen Victoria was in mourning, the excessive decoration of the early Victorian period was suppressed, and simple and easy-to-use designs became common.

It is relatively easy to obtain as an antique because the number is increasing due to mass production, and it can be said that it is a representative era of British antiques because there are many variations in design.

4. Edwardian (1901-1918)

After Queen Victoria, the era after Edward VII, who ascended to the throne in 1901, is called this.
In the antique world, it seems to point to around 1918 when the First World War ends.

In the late Victorian era, Queen Victoria was in mourning, so the atmosphere was heavy, but when it entered the Edwardian era, it became a bright and casual image.

Industrialization and mass production have progressed further, and there are many simple designs that are easy to get used to in our lives, and industrial designs have also been born.

On the other hand, it was also the era when William Morris's "Arts & Crafts Movement", which was born out of opposition to excessive industrialization and mass production, was popular.

summary

Since the period division is roughly divided by the historical background of the era, not all things of that era apply, but if you know such historical trends, you will have a deeper understanding of antiques. Become.

In addition to period divisions, there are also divisions by design style such as "Rococo", "Neoclassical" and "Art Nouveau", but I would like to write about that in another article.

See our list of British antique silver here