AMERICAN ANTIQUE COUNTRY FURNITURE

American country furniture encompasses an extraordinary range of types made over a time span of several hundred years, and pieces often differ significantly in quality of craftsmanship, place of origin, and appearance. But whether produced by the hands of a farmer, by the workshop of a well-known country craftsman or even by the factories of an expanding machine age, all antique country furniture seems to share an inherent character and often a distinctive quirkiness that is central to its appeal. 

American country furniture was enormously influenced by European and English styles, which urban cabinetmakers in this country adapted to colonial tastes. In turn, country craftsmen copied urban furniture, modifying it to suit the homes of people who lived on farms and in small villages. As a result, country furniture was generally simplified. Made of local woods, it often featured painted decoration rather than the costly carving and veneers of high-style pieces produced in furniture-making centers like Newport and Philadelphia. 

The rich mix of cultures that made up America's melting pot during the 18th and 19th centuries was responsible not only for the introduction of new and varied forms to this country, but also! for a wealth of expressive decoration.