Item of The Week - Victorian Inlaid Canterbury Whatnot

Here we have a Victorian Inlaid Canterbury Whatnot. ‘What is a Whatnot?’ you might ask. Well let us explain; a whatnot is simply a type of shelving unit that became very popular back in the early 19^th Century for displaying a person’s ornaments, vases, ceramics & ‘whatnot’, hence the name. But this piece is slightly different to your standard sort of Whatnot and this is why we have chosen it as this weeks ‘Item of The Week.’

A typical Whatnot may include 3 or 4 shelves, but this example only has one, the reason being that it is also a Canterbury. The Canterbury section is situated directly underneath the upper shelf, and therefore this lovely piece of furniture doubles up as 2 types of furniture giving you great versatility. You can therefore not only display your favourite ornaments, but you can also store magazines and books in the lower section. And if that wasn’t enough, in true Canterbury style you also have a drawer at the bottom of the unit to store more ‘bits & bobs.’

The dealer selling this Canterbury Whatnot has not stated what wood this is constricted from, but it dates from the Victorian period and you can clearly see that it is a sturdy piece that has been beautifully designed with some stunning detail in the carved woodwork. It also displays an Inlaid design adding to the elegance of this piece.

It is being sold by Marlborough Antiques & Interiors for £495

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