Arts and Crafts display cabinet, Shapland and Petter, England

Fabulous Arts and Crafts display and music sheet cabinet. Rare round shape of the display with original glassware. Underneath the display, space to store music sheets. Beautiful, styled flowers and flower bouquets in different types of woods marquetry on mahogany. Deep green fabric inside. the lock is stamped S & P with the letter B underneath. Respectfully restored. A display to highlight your collection.

Size: H 198 cm x W 116 cm x D 43 cm

Shapland and Petter manufactory, end of the 19th century.

Lit: Shapland & Petter was a furniture factory based in North Devon in a town called Barnstaple and specialized in Arts & Crafts designs. Antique furniture by Shapland & Petter is usually very well constructed from the finest quality timbers and beautifully designed. “Shapland and Petter” was first established by Henry Shapland in 1854. He was a cabinet maker by trade but after a visit to America in 1848, he was inspired by an invention of a moulding machine which would speed up the production of furniture making. Upon his Return back to England with his newfound inspiration and ideas, he began his cabinet making business at the Raleigh woolen mill in Pilton, Devon. Once he was more established, he then moved to Bear Street in Barnstaple where he started to create some good quality pieces of antique furniture. Henry Petter, who was an accountant, entered partnership with Henry Shapland later on. In 1864 they bought the Raleigh Factory where Shapland first set up. Unfortunately, in 1888 the building burnt down in a large fire. Soon after a larger new factory was built with saw mills, cabinet making shops and polishing rooms. The deaths of the two Henrys in 1907 and 1909 marked the end of an era, but the company continued to thrive, merging with the Barnstaple Cabinet Company in 1924. During World War I, they produced wooden propellers for the Royal Flying Corps. Post-war, the company adapted to changing tastes, transitioning from hand-carved furniture to elegant, veneered pieces with Art Deco influences.
The Museum of North Devon in Barnstaple houses an archive of Shapland and Petter, showcasing the company’s history and its impact on the region. For over a century, the Shapland and Petter factory has been a staple at the end of Barnstaple Long Bridge, contributing significantly to the local economy and community.