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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 23, 2014, 11:35:05 am »

They also did that to chairs in that period...part of that whole "Intarsia" thing I believe.

It's so grimy except for the interior lid, which is well-preserved compared to the rest of it, but I don't want to clean it too much, but getting the outside a bit damp let's ya see the details.  The closer I look at it, the more funky little details I find under the grime and worminess...

Like a treasure hunt! 

Like I said, I mostly refinish neglected furniture, collect old kitchen gadgets and tools...this is out of my league!

I also recently found an Art Deco Ice Crusher, a pre-prohibition whiskey crate, and fire torch!  If it's old and rusty, or any type of box....I love it!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 23, 2014, 11:20:19 am »

Better pictures, with more detail (read: not taken with the IPad, but with the IPhone...perhaps. I should actually bust out a real camera! 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 23, 2014, 11:02:53 am »

I have the first appraisal back, and they confirmed that it was built in the late 1400's in Italy (something about the type of dovetailing and the style of tin-work (Intarsia), and carving of the parallel lines in the lid were done during a very specific time...

Unfortunately, in the shape it's in, probably only worth about $1500!  That's way more than I paid for it but not enough to sell and renovate my Masterbath!  I was really hoping that it would be more like $5K +...it's over 500 years old!  Fifty-year old Comics are worth more....lol

I still love & adore it, and my gut feeling of, "I MUST have that", have snagged another cool treasure!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Mystery solved! Baptismal Font

« on: July 23, 2014, 10:44:47 am »

And, I read that a lot of the stands are just plain wooden ones that can be moved, and don't always match the style of the Font?

But others had short legs so they could stand on a surface...

I would live to know how many babies were baptized with it! 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 23, 2014, 10:41:13 am »

Exposed Dovetail...

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Antique Questions Forum / Mystery solved! Baptismal Font

« on: July 23, 2014, 10:04:13 am »

My first post here was regarding this copper Catholic piece, and it was thought to be for a Holy Water, or a brazier of some sort for incense etc., but it is a Baptismal Font!  It would be placed in a stand, and was used for Baptizing babies! 

I would LOVE to know it's history, but haven't had much luck finding anyone who knows anything...

I threw it in for appraisal with my medieval trunk, so maybe they will have some idea! 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 23, 2014, 09:41:33 am »

Mart, thanks for the name of the appraiser...I did read some reviews, and found one that was rated highly for finding you the history and ballpark value.  I think that it will come down to whether or not it's worth enough to pay for a restoration and sell it, sell it as-is, and keep is as a wonderful treasure conversation piece.  I may need a more detailed one down the road if it turns out to be worth a gazillion dollars! 

Jacon4...if you go all the way to the bottom of the Thomas the Builder Blog, you can see my question! No reply so far...

There is that one in the museum in Koln, and another at the MAK museum in Cologne.  Oddly enough, I have been to both places, the towns...not museums.  I lived in Europe for several years on and of, and, randomly, I must add that the best Flea Market I have ever been to was in East Berlin.  I could have spent a month and all my $$ in there...amazing!

Back to the chest, this is the most comprehensive site I could find:  http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O133458/chest-unknown/

They all seem to be in Museums....except mine!  :/

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 22, 2014, 06:56:53 pm »

I sent all the pics to an appraiser, and hope to get a ballpark figure.  Some 16-17th century ones were selling for $5K+...they were way fancier, but this is way older, and the only ones I've seen like this have been in museums!  If it would pay off, we would definitely restore it before selling it!  If it's worth more than $1500, for sale it goes, anything under, we'll keep and enjoy!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Is it legal to sell a Gravestone

« on: July 22, 2014, 06:46:14 pm »

A bit off topic, but I lived in Germany for a few years, and while taking a hike along the coast one day, we stated finding pieces of marble headstones...and we thought they may be part of a demolished graveyard or some such thing.  But, ran into some other hikers, and this was just an area a local stone maker dumped his mistakes and such...he needed to dump, and they needed fill in a wet area, so he had permission.  It was weird, yet fascinating.  But I love old cemeteries, I have explored them through Europe, Southern USA, Canada, and some small funky old ones in the New England area....just love them!?  But I love a lot of old things!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 22, 2014, 06:34:34 pm »

Oh my!  I thought they were just out of his junk box (my favorite go-to for my odd creations)...how could he have thought they were ok to use on a piece of furniture!  A medieval piece of furniture no less!

Maybe somewhere that you were going to cover with drywall...haha!?  My husband would still be horrified to know they were under there, and it would torture him! 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 21, 2014, 06:17:33 pm »

The guy we bought it from at the market did the repair...some hot glue, and weird metal hooks.  Some total hack job I would do, and would make my husband cringe.

My husband wanted to take it apart and start repairing ASAP, but I wanted to research first!

It may be one of those pieces that you devalue if you repair it....

Strange to think it was made in the late 1400's (unconfirmed, but from all accounts...) before North America was even settled!  Amazing!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest with decorative metal, very unique...no history!

« on: July 21, 2014, 05:56:14 pm »

Apparently most families in Medieval times kept a chest with all their valuables in it, the wealthier you were...the more ornate your chest was. 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Primitive antique wooden chest with decorative metal, very unique...no history!

« on: July 21, 2014, 05:37:39 pm »

After a gazillion hours, I have uncovered enough information to get a little excited!

It's late 15th Century, Italian, Walnut, with Intarsia tinwork (still unsure what the design means)

I have found it's prettier siblings in museums....a little out of my antique furniture, kitchenware, and industrial steampunk stuff!!

I may have to actually hire an appraiser!

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Antique Questions Forum / Primitive antique wooden chest update! 15th Century Italian Walnut!

« on: July 21, 2014, 12:10:35 pm »

I have never seen anything quite like this, and the seller didn't have any history...other than he thought it was more than 200 years old.

There is a lot of circular embossed metal, and it looks like there was possibly leather under the metal, all of it patterned.

There is a mark/stamp on the side of "MCP", and one on the back that is just "MR".

The designs looked Asian, but my Asian friend disagrees?

Terrible repair by seller with all the silver teeth holding the lid together....some people!?

Any ideas?

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Antique Questions Forum / Newbie: Large copper bowl with ornate lid (crosses/crowns?) from old CA church!

« on: March 23, 2014, 06:39:28 pm »

The guy at the Swapmeet told me he got this out of 100+ year-old Catholic Church in San Diego, and that it was for Holy Water.

It is copper (amazing patina), about 16" in diameter, and would hold close to 3/4-1 gallon of water.

The lid has crosses, and possibly crowns!  It has two ornate handles, and it has a rounded bottom, with a bit of flat so it can sit on a solid surface.

It appears quite old, probably handcrafted, no hallmarks I can see.

I looked online, and nada!  There are some braziers for burning incense that seem somewhat similar, but there is no sign of smoke...but, then again, it looks like it hasn't been used in some time.

We were stopped by half a dozen people on the way out commenting on it.

I paid $40 for it.

Anyone have any ideas?  It seems wonderfully unique...

Thanks in advance!

(I am an amateur collector of old rusty objects that are generally useless, but pleading to me...and great conversation starters!).