What is the history behind Barley Twist furniture?

Hi Jimmie, I am not in the market right now to buy anything new. I wish you good luck on your move, though.

Start by calling an antique dealer, and ask them what the charge is to come out to your house. Next Don't Do Anything To This Piece of Furniture, don't dust it or wax it or anything. EJL

nyy

Since you bought it at an estate sale I doubt that it would be older or worth more than you paid for it. It is very attractive and I love estate sales (going to one tomorrow) I certainly doubt it is Elizabethan or anything approaching real age. If an estate sale person is not too knowledgable to begin with they will be in short time as their customers will educate them!

The desk is American Arts & Crafts/Mission OAK 1920-1925, The Stickley Bros Furniture Company used this design towards the end of the Mission Oak period.

The chair is English Barley Twist OAK kitchen chair , same era. They were sold with matching Draw Leaf Tables. English chairs have the pop out seats.

Barley Twist has been incorporated in many styles for hundreds of year.

The table had cane inserts in the sides where you see the slots.

They would look so much better refinished than painted brown. You will probably find that they strip really easily although there is a good chance that the top is really darkened from being exposed to moisture which caused all that splitting.

Garrison Traver, Sundance Antiques, Walnut Creek, Ca.

i have been researching this type of furniture for a customer to be specific a 17th century barley gate leg dining table or pub table, the first ones from the georgian and jacobian era , usually oak or walnut some are chesnut, most are made in england although some were produced in france, in the 1800s they became popular again , and in the early 1900s they were produced in america. then in the 1950s had a revival the ones in the early 1900s and 1950s they used machinery to produce the barley spindles, so if you have one of these pieces check the type of hardware used and whether the piece is put together with nails or pegs. the value varies.

Bonnie, this thread may be really old. But I'll answer your question. This this style furniture is an homage to old tutor furniture from the 16th century in England. Prominent companies in the United States like Stickley Brothers and Charles Limbert in Grand rapids were making it during the Arts and Crafts era that is around 1910 to 1920. I have an entire dining room suit that was made in 1909 by The Stickley Brothers firm. It has twisted legs like your desk and otherwise arts and crafts features

One popular furniture technique is a type of wood turning that first appeared in England and France in the 1600s. Furniture with spiral-turned legs or trim was known as "barley twist" or "barley sugar," probably because it resembled sticks of barley sugar used at the time.

The twist was difficult to make of oak because that wood is brittle. It often was made of walnut or beech.

At first it was cut by hand, then after 1660 with the help of a lathe.

The twisted leg went out of style in the second half of the 18th century, when curved legs came into fashion. The 19th-century chair or table started with a straight leg, but by the 1850s some designers again used the twist.

Rococo revival designs were a blend of old designs for turnings, inlays and carvings, blended to make a new look.

There is more to the article here:

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1997-02-16-1997047209-story.html

Correct it appears 1930s possibly hand made chair as the twists are both left hand and the desk is right hand left hand pair in the correct order facing each other top shoulders outward. Best regards Australian Spiral Woodturning.

Victorian. Maybe Scotish. Barley Twist was done by Bodgers on a hand lathe in the woods using string and timber to do it.