The Work of Charles Limbert

Charles Limbert started manufacturing his Arts & Crafts furniture in Grand Rapids in 1902 and moved to Holland, MI in 1906. His furniture, which he referred to as Dutch Arts & Crafts furniture, is lighter and more curvaceous than that of Gustav Stickley. His most sought after pieces use cut-outs in their design, similar to motifs used by Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Limbert also produced two lines of inlaid furniture. Early on, Limbert made seating and bookcases with wood and metal inlays; these pieces are very rare. Later, Limbert made a line of simpler inlaid furniture, called Ebon-Oak, with straight-line inlays of ebony with ebony squares at either end. These pieces often had cane inserts, and are more available than his earlier inlaid furniture.

Double-oval table	This table, referred to as the Limbert Double-Oval, features cut-outs on cross stretchers below the lower shelf, and is one of Limbert’s most popular cut-out designs. In original finish it usually sells in the $15,000 to $20,000 range.
Limbert sideboard	This sideboard is typical of the lighter and more flowing form of Limbert’s pieces compared to Gustav Stickley. A sideboard like this usually sells in the $3,000 to $4,000 range.
Early Limbert bookcase	This early Limbert bookcase has leaded glass and a dark finish, features typically found only on early Limbert furniture. It’s price range is $3,000 to $5,000.
Ebon-oak desk	As rare and attractive as Limbert’s ebon-oak furniture pieces often are, they tend to be reasonably priced. This ebon-oak desk will usually sell for between $1,800 and $2,500.
Limbert bookcase with inlay	Early inlaid Limbert pieces can be expensive. This bookcase normally brings $15,000 to $20,000.
Hammered copper lamp	Although Limbert did not make the lighting he sold, he carried some terrific hammered copper lamps. This is one of his best, and typically brings $10,000 to $15,000.

Books of Merit on Charles Limbert

Limbert’s Furniture published by Stephen Gray, Turn of the Century Editions – This book reprints four Limbert Furniture catalogs and covers the full range of Limbert’s Arts & Crafts production. It is an excellent guide to the range of designs manufactured by Limbert. ($20)

Kindred Styles: The Arts and Crafts Furniture of Charles P. Limbert by A. Patricia Bartinique – This book is the catalog of an exhibition put on by Gallery 532 in New York City. It is unfortunately out-of-print, and copies tend to run around $50 when you can locate them on amazon.com. Serious fans of Limbert should consider owning this book, but for the average collector, the Stephen Gray book is very adequate.

<< Return to article index