What-not
A what-not or whatnot is a piece of furniture derived from the French étagère which was exceedingly popular in England in the first three-quarters of the 19th century.[1][2]
History
[edit]It usually consists of slender uprights or pillars, supporting a series of shelves for holding china, ornaments, trifles, or "what nots", hence the allusive name. The rise of the what-not coincided with the availability of purely decorative items which warranted display. The slender uprights functioned to provide as uninterrupted view of the objects on display as possible.[3]
In its English form, it is a convenient piece of drawing room furniture, and was rarely valued for its aesthetic.[1] The first recorded what-not in England was from December 1808, in a letter from Lady Sarah Spencer to her brother Robert which mentions laying a new carpet which necessitated "old chairs, tables, what-nots, and sofas were torn up by the roots".[3]
British what-nots are typically made of mahogany or rosewood, which were fashionable woods in the late Georgian and Victorian eras. Most what-nots are square, though triangular forms were made to fit in corners. Some incorporate a drawer.[3] American manufacturers also produced what-nots.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Chisholm 1911.
- ^ "Étagère | British | The Metropolitan Museum of Art". The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archived from the original on 20 April 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- ^ a b c "Terms of the Trade: Whatnot | British Antique Dealers Association". www.bada.org. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
- ^ MacClain, Alexia. "19th-Century Furniture Options for Style and Storage". www.smithsonianmag.com. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
Attribution:
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "What-Not". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 28 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 576.
