HEART OF OAK

From tables to coffers, beautifully handcarved pieces of early oak furniture are as useful today as they were over 400 years ago, and work surprisingly well in modern interiors

- EMMA LONGSTAFF

Every piece of early oak furniture is different,' says Sid Wilkinson, director of Wilkinson's Auctioneers, which holds E several specialist oak sales each year. 'It was all made by hand, bespoke for a specific customer, so no two pieces were exactly alike.' The period 1500 to 1660 is sometimes referred to as the Age of Oak. At that time, the British Isles were heavily forested, and oak was used not just for furniture, but also for building houses and ships. Until the late 17th century, walnut trees - probably first introduced to the British Isles by the Romans - were valued for their nuts, rather than timber. Oak was the material of choice.

Sid believes the story of early oak furniture provides a window into English history. Certain styles are associated with specific regions, and these regional differences in the way the furniture was made can tell us something about its connections to a place. 'Furniture made in Yorkshire, where I am from, is more flamboyant, with inlaid wood and lots of carving - a 'more is more' approach,' he says. In contrast, East Anglian furniture tends to be more restrained and 'you can see the Dutch influence from the workers who came over to drain the fens and build other infrastructure,' he explains.

Four hundred or so years later, the reason we still have furniture from this period is because it's incredibly well made, portable and very useful, continues Sid. That's why it has been passed down through the generations. Today, a 17th-century stool works really well as a nice coffee table or lampstand, and a coffer can still be used for storing bedding or blankets. They fit remarkably well with modern interiors.

Early oak furniture can also give us surprising insights into 

how our ancestors once lived.