Bay Colony Antiques is proud to offer for sale this exceptional late 19th century antique Mahogany Art Nouveau settee attributed to the RJ Horner furniture company. The RJ Horner Company was a prominent furniture manufacturer that was active in New York City during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company specialized in producing high-quality, ornate furniture that was often made from exotic woods and featured intricate carvings and decorative elements. The company was founded by Robert J. Horner in the 1880s and quickly gained a reputation for producing some of the most luxurious furniture of the era. The company's designs were influenced by a variety of styles, including Renaissance Revival, Gothic Revival, and French Louis XV and XVI from the “Gilded Age”. Around the turn of the 20th century the emerging Art Nouveau style was gaining popularity throughout Europe and began being incorporated into American homes & decorative arts. It’s important to remember that furniture styles didn’t abruptly start & end, but rather evolved as customers tastes changed.
Being a transitional piece, the settee is also lighter in scale than the heavier designs that reigned supreme over the preceding decades. The settee has a three splat back with graceful scrollings at the top and a nice serpentine crest rail that accentuates the fluidity of the overall design. Hand carving elements for furniture was time consuming and costly so it’s not uncommon to see the back legs not carved like they are on this settee. The front legs have carved lion paw feet which were well executed, but not an overly ambitious design. This was probably designed that way as to not detract any attention from the masterful figural carvings at the arms. This clearly had the attention of a highly skilled carver with a strong understanding of his craft and attention to detail. The upholstery on the settee is in great condition and features a repeating floral design that’s mainly beige & cream colored with small pops of pink throughout the design. The settee is in great condition with our only notes being some light finish loss on the back & minor surface wear, the worst of which being the light scratches on the crest rail. The settee measures 44” wide x 24” deep x 36 3/4” tall. The seat measures 38” wide between the arms x 18” deep with an 18 1/2” seat height.
