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Aesthetic Movement Furniture

At Puritan Values we specialise in original Aesthetic Movement furniture.

“Art for art’s sake”, a celebration of beauty, craftsmanship and design.

What Defines Aesthetic Movement Furniture?

  • Emphasis on beauty, proportion and decoration rather than pure utility
  • Ebonised woods, gilt highlights, inlay and painted or embroidered panels
  • Strong Anglo Japanese influence in motifs, colour and form
  • Integration of art, poetry and design in everyday objects

The Aesthetic Movement raised domestic furniture to the level of fine art, blending carefully balanced forms with refined surface decoration and an interest in Japanese design, colour harmony and symbolism.

Philip Webb for Morris & Co, Aesthetic Movement ebonised bobbin turned settee

Featured piece, Philip Webb for Morris & Co. A rare Aesthetic Movement ebonised bobbin turned settee with pineapple finials and scalloped cresting, designed to accompany Webb’s famous adjustable reclining armchairs, c.1866. View this settee.

E. W. Godwin made by Collinson & Lock, exceptional Anglo Japanese rosewood table

Featured piece, exceptional Anglo Japanese rosewood table by Collinson & Lock, design firmly attributed to E. W. Godwin, stamped with the firm’s design number and currently reserved for a forthcoming Godwin exhibition at the Bröhan Museum, Berlin. View this table.

Featured Designers

These designers shifted British interiors away from heavy Victorian clutter towards lighter, art led rooms where furniture, textiles and colour were conceived as a single composition.

Some of What We Offer

  • Chairs, from salon sets to Anglo Japanese side chairs
  • Tables, including centre, writing and occasional tables
  • Shelving and wall cabinets
  • Decor, from stands to screens and smaller pieces
  • Storage and cabinets for libraries, drawing rooms and studies

Our Aesthetic Movement collection ranges from one off exhibition pieces to versatile furniture that sits comfortably in contemporary interiors while retaining its historic character.

E. W. Godwin attributed Anglo Japanese three fold ebonised and needlework screen

Shown here, Anglo Japanese three fold screen attributed to E. W. Godwin, probably made by Collinson & Lock, its ebonised frame enclosing richly worked panels of birds amidst foliage, c.1880. View this screen.

Aesthetic Movement exhibition cabinet designed by T. E. Collcutt and made by Collinson & Lock

Exhibition cabinet in ebonised wood by Collinson & Lock to a design by architect T. E. Collcutt, closely related to the celebrated 1871 Victoria and Albert Museum example with painted bird and flower panels by Charles Fairfax Murray. View this cabinet.

Glossary Terms Explained

These terms appear regularly in Aesthetic furniture descriptions and help decode construction quality, timber selection and the type of decorative work used on a piece.

Why Buy From Puritan Values

  • Over 39 years of expertise in antique decorative arts
  • Worldwide delivery with secure packing and regulatory documentation
  • All items restored and assessed by our in house team
  • One of the largest Aesthetic Movement collections available in the UK