Her Majesty's Furniture: The Wines and Beers Sideboard, 1859

The Victoria & Albert Museum

The renowned designer William Burges showed this amazing sideboard at the International Exhibition of 1862 (South Kensington, London). The Victoria & Albert Museum purchased it at the 1862 exhibition for the cost of £40.

The sideboard was praised in 1862 for its painted decoration of jolly scenes well-suited for the cabinet's use in storing and serving drinks.  The scene depicts a fanciful  battle between wines and beers, in which Continental wines, represented by Sir Bacchus, fight with British beers, represented by Sir John Barleycorn.  Lady warriors personify Pale Ale, Scotch Ale, Hock and Champagne.

Object of the Day, Museum Edition: The Wines and Beers Sideboard, 1859

The Victoria & Albert Museum

The renowned designer William Burges showed this amazing sideboard at the International Exhibition of 1862 (South Kensington, London). The Victoria & Albert Museum purchased it at the 1862 exhibition for the cost of £40.

The sideboard was praised in 1862 for its painted decoration of jolly scenes well-suited for the cabinet's use in storing and serving drinks.  The scene depicts a fanciful  battle between wines and beers, in which Continental wines, represented by Sir Bacchus, fight with British beers, represented by Sir John Barleycorn.  Lady warriors personify Pale Ale, Scotch Ale, Hock and Champagne.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Coburg Armchair, 1851

Armchair
Theodor Behrens
Coburg, Germany, 1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum
Donated from Holyrood Palace

Here we see one of a set of four ornate Gothic-style armchairs which match an impressive sideboard.  The set was made in the German state of Coburg (the home of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert) and was sent specifically to Prince Albert’s 1851 Great Exhibition to represent Germany’s creative work. The chairs were not intended to be thrones (though that’s the overall look), but rather were meant to demonstrate the skill of the designers and carvers. Theodor Behrens, who was responsible for the carving, adorned each chair with slightly different motifs and carved an inscription, including his name, on the back of this one. The original wool tassels of the fringe were bright pink as opposed to the gold that we see today.

The set of furniture was praised by the Art-Journal Illustrated Catalogue in 1851 for the carving “in the German-Gothic style of the middle ages.”  The chairs were especially praised while the sideboard received an “honourable mention” in the jury reports for the exhibition.

The sideboard and chairs were  installed in the Evening Drawing Room, part of the Royal Apartments on the first floor of Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, in 1852. Victoria and Albert used Holyrood as a “stopping place” when they traveled to their Aberdeen estate, Balmoral. The  palace’s Evening Drawing Room was also furnished with a suite of furniture which was upholstered in crimson velvet. In 1863, Queen Victoria commissioned a watercolor of the room, showing two of these chairs flanking the sideboard, to record her happy memories of holidays in Scotland with Prince Albert.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Coburg Armchair, 1851

Armchair
Theodor Behrens
Coburg, Germany, 1851
The Victoria & Albert Museum
Donated from Holyrood Palace

Here we see one of a set of four ornate Gothic-style armchairs which match an impressive sideboard.  The set was made in the German state of Coburg (the home of Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert) and was sent specifically to Prince Albert’s 1851 Great Exhibition to represent Germany’s creative work.  The chairs were not intended to be thrones (though that’s the overall look), but rather were meant to demonstrate the skill of the designers and carvers. Theodor Behrens, who was responsible for the carving, adorned each chair with slightly different motifs and carved an inscription, including his name, on the back of this one. The original wool tassels of the fringe were bright pink as opposed to the gold that we see today.

The set of furniture was praised by the Art-Journal Illustrated Catalogue in 1851 for the carving “in the German-Gothic style of the middle ages.”  The chairs were especially praised while the sideboard received an “honourable mention” in the jury reports for the exhibition.

The sideboard and chairs were  installed in the Evening Drawing Room, part of the Royal Apartments on the first floor of Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, in 1852. Victoria and Albert used Holyrood as a “stopping place” when they traveled to their Aberdeen estate, Balmoral. The  palace’s Evening Drawing Room was also furnished with a suite of furniture which was upholstered in crimson velvet. In 1863, Queen Victoria commissioned a watercolor of the room, showing two of these chairs flanking the sideboard, to record her happy memories of holidays in Scotland with Prince Albert.

Her Majesty's Furniture: The Wines and Beers Sideboard, 1859

The Victoria & Albert Museum

The renowned designer William Burges showed this amazing sideboard at the International Exhibition of 1862 (South Kensington, London). The Victoria & Albert Museum purchased it at the 1862 exhibition for the cost of £40.

The sideboard was praised in 1862 for its painted decoration of jolly scenes well-suited for the cabinet's use in storing and serving drinks.  The scene depicts a fanciful  battle between wines and beers, in which Continental wines, represented by Sir Bacchus, fight with British beers, represented by Sir John Barleycorn.  Lady warriors personify Pale Ale, Scotch Ale, Hock and Champagne.

Object of the Day: A Gothic Revival Sideboard

Gothic Revival architecture and furnishings began to flourish in the 1740’s in England and enjoyed a prolific life well into the Twentieth Century. As decades passed, Gothic Revival (or Neo-Gothic, or “Victorian Gothic”) became more stylized and simplified in terms of the decorative arts, relying on geometric pattern and sturdiness.


This walnut sideboard dates to the late Nineteenth Century to early Twentieth and features turn-of-the-century Gothic Revival details such as incised ornaments in the shape of Gothic ogival arches and carvings which lean as much toward the Tudor as they do the Gothic. Not as formal as many Gothic Revival pieces, a sideboard such as this one would have found itself put toward more utilitarian use than it did decorative.

I purchased this sideboard many years ago for my dining room, replacing it in time with a much more formal and ornate étagère. For quite a long time, this piece waited patiently in my laundry room, hoping for the day it would be able to be front and center once again. Now, it’s found a new life in the central corridor of the house, proving once again that there’s nothing quite as enduring as the Gothic Revival.

Object of the Day: A Late 1920’s Sideboard

By the 1920’s, the decorative arts were changing. The ideals of more ornate periods were maintained and reinterpreted into simpler lines and planes. This sideboard is an interesting transitional piece of furniture, leaning toward the Art Deco, but still incorporating the craftsmanship and detail of the Victorian and Edwardian.

This maple piece comes from England and features a bowed front and scalloped doors with inlays of contrasting wood patterns. While the simple curving lines of the sideboard are uninterrupted, it still features carves and raised ornaments at the centers of each door and flanking the drawers. This nod to the traditional proves that we’re always looking to our artistic roots as we explore new ways of furnishing our homes.

Sitting proudly on turned-bun feet, this sideboard features ample storage and display space. The top is not one flat plane, but rather, lowered in the center for dramatic effect. While wholly 1920’s, it also reminds us that sometimes the old ways are the best.

Term for the Day: Sideboard

A late Victorian English sideboard.

Used in dining rooms, a sideboard—also called a server—is a waist-level piece of furniture consisting of cabinets and usually, one or more drawers. The sideboards use is predominantly for the serving of food, and for the display and storage of china, silver and crystal. Sideboards are typically constructed of fine woods, but can have a top surface of stone. Modern decorators have begun to incorporate sideboards into the design of rooms other than the dining room. The shape and size of a sideboard makes for a perfect display area in any room. Antique sideboards are highly sought after and can be found in a variety of styles and conditions. If you’re looking for an attractive and versatile piece of furniture, a sideboard might be just the answer.

Decorating Tip: Creating the Unexpected

Part of keeping your home décor exciting is adding something unexpected. Decorating during The Belle Époque was about color, elegance, excitement and showcasing important, interesting objects. We can employ this principle today in our own homes.

For example, you can display a picture in an unexpected place. Not only does this add excitement to a room, but serves as an excellent way to create the perfect backdrop for something you value.

In my own home, I display paintings in unusual places all the time. I think this creates drama in the room. You can hang a picture on a bookshelf, in front of drapery on a window (making sure the painting is protected from damaging light), you can lean a picture on a chair that’s never used or create a grouping with a picture and other objects on a desk or sideboard. Use your imagination. The possibilities are limitless.