1 A Touch of Ink
Although the telephone was quickly replacing letter writing during the Edwardian era, every desk, at home or in the office, still contained an inkwell. This brass pen tray with gadrooned edging (a form of convex molding), a brass pen rest, and cut-glass inkwell (4½” h. x 7½” sq.) was made in England around 1903. $1,350, Yale R. Burge, 315 E. 62nd St., NYC, 212-838-4005, yaleburge.com.
2 Desk Duty
When a woman sat at this satinwood desk in Edwardian England, she could either pen a letter or apply makeup using the centered mirror. This writing/dressing table (31″ h. x 45″ w. x 20″ d.) was made by the English firm of Waring and Gillow around 1901, the year Queen Victoria died and the reign of King Edward VII began. The sides fold out to reveal an intricately rendered interior of compartments and nooks, along with a leather writing surface. $28,000, The Fortress, 1 Jackson St., Troy, NY, 518-271-4150.
3 Light Touch
An Edwardian dining table was not completely set unless it featured candlesticks, such as this column-shaped, unmonogrammed sterling-silver pair (4¾” h. x 8″ diam.). These were manufactured by Charles S. Green & Co. of Birmingham, England, in 1921, when the Edwardian era was over but its effects were still being felt. $895, Tudor Rose Antiques, 28 E. 10th St., NYC, 212-677-5239, tudorroseantiques.com.
4 Coal Play
Stoking the furnace in early-20th-century homes meant reaching into a coal bin such as this brass example (16″ h. x 23″ w. x 15½” d.) and extracting some lumps. Today, this tin-lined, steel-handled bin could be used to hold kindling or function as a drinks cabinet or magazine box. $1,950, Yew Tree House Antiques, 414 E. 71st St., NYC, 212-249-6612, yewtreehouseantiques.com.
5 Literary Lions
Given their brass lion’s-paw casters, these matching library tables (28″ h. x 18″ diam.) practically roar when placed in a room. Each of the circa-1910 English satinwood tables features a brass galleried top (a raised border) and inlaid sabre legs. $5,800, Florian Papp, 962 Madison Ave., NYC, 212-288-6770, florianpapp.com.
