Glass perches, delft racks, whatnots and canterburies are just a few of the strangely named solutions to our ancestors’ storage and display needs.

Chaucer, in the Miller’s table, written in the 14th century, refers to ‘shelves couched at his beddes head’ — probably for books — but shelving for more general uses was rare before the 16th century. By the 19th century, however, a whole variety of other storage and display solutions had appeared.

Wall Racks and Shelves

In the 16th century ‘glass perches’ usually in the form of open shelves, occasionally with doors, were used to store fragile drinking vessels. By the r 7th century the more substantial ‘dresser‘ or ‘delft rack’ had evolved for showing off plate and ceramic wares; fixed to a base this became the high dresser. Delft racks of the 17th and 18th centuries are the earliest items of this type you are likely to find today; most of these pieces have been repaired or altered in size. Made of oak, the largest are some 6 ft (1.8 m) wide with four or five shelves, indicating a wealthy owner with many objects to display. Early racks often have elaborate inlay, carving and mouldings, befitting the treasures they held.

Antique Collector Magazine

From the early 18th century, shelving was widely used in large houses. Some rooms had fitted shelves to display Chinese porcelain, but these cannot be removed from listed interiors and appear only very occasionally on the market as part of an entire 18th-century panelled room. More common today are hanging shelves, themselves often ornamented with chinoiserie — a vogue that continued into the second half of the century, as several designs in Thomas Chippendale’s Director of 1754 show; others are decorated with Gothic motifs. Many hanging shelves have decorative fretwork sides in three-piece mahogany, an early form of plywood. Fine examples sell for as much as £8000-£ 12, 000 today.

More severe Neoclassical shelves date from the late Georgian and Regency periods; ones based on designs by George Hepplewhite or Thomas Sheraton can fetch £3 000-£6000.

From the early loth century, brass tubing was often used to support two to four wooden shelves, while the Victorians also used cast iron and papier mâché. Many simple late loth-century units, often originally for home assembly, can still be found for about £20 each. So-called ‘Victorian’ pine shelves are very common and have usually been made up by dealers from old pine boards. As they are so useful, they may nonetheless fetch £500.

Whatnots and Canterburies

The whatnot (known in France as an étagère) first appeared in the late r8th century and consists of three or more open tiers of shelves on corner supports, usually on castors. Most are mahogany, although rosewood, bird’s-eye maple and other timbers were also used. Later examples often have walnut or rosewood veneer on a mahogany base. Prices depend as much upon elegance and condition as on age. For example, an elegant Regency rosewood whatnot might sell for £2500-£3500, whereas one of the same date with mahogany veneer and beading would fetch only £800-£1500. The canterbury also appeared in the late 18th century; it originally stored sheet music but today is often used for magazines. Early pieces are simple and elegant, consisting of three or four vertical compartments above a fitted drawer on straight legs. Regency examples often have turned tapered legs, and late Victorian canterburies tend to be heavily carved. Late designs may have X-framed dividers and a removable tray or table-top.

Almost all early canterburies are mahogany or sometimes satinwood. From 1810 rosewood was popular, although other woods were also used. Georgian examples can fetch £5000 today, Victorian ones £500-£1500. A fitted drawer increases the value, as do good colour, condition and construction, but elegance is again the main criterion. The canterbury was superseded in the Edwardian era by music cabinets in mahogany veneer with a glazed door; these are good value at £l00-£300.

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