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Author Topic: How to date furniture?  (Read 15102 times)

MrMahoot

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #15 on: November 08, 2013, 06:30:50 am »
Sorry I did not mention i am based in the UK and as far as I am aware the table is English and not an attempt at an American copy
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ghopper1924

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #16 on: November 08, 2013, 06:33:11 am »
Quote from: Ipcress on November 08, 2013, 06:23:37 am
Quote from: jacon4 on November 08, 2013, 05:25:34 am
How to date furniture?

Construction details is the best way, actually, it's about the only way really.

 For instance, your table appears to be Eastlake, C 1870-1900 in style because of the clean, incised lines on the apron and the fretwork on legs below. Is it a period Eastlake piece? I dunno but, the construction details would reveal that info pretty quickly.
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/1113522

There's that superior attitude that made the English "loved" the world over!  ;D ;D
BTW, the table looks like ca. 1870.

The wood doesn't look as old as that to me, also the over elaborated legs....

American furniture is best left to the Americans.

It's inferior anyway  :P
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jacon4

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #17 on: November 08, 2013, 06:34:05 am »
It's inferior anyway

LOL, Hardly

I was gonna say, if one looks at the hot water radiator in background, it looks european, not American. Now confirmed, it's most likely an english table, obviously an inferior constructed piece!

I think the wood is mahogany, not rose wood and i am going to guess slightly later than ghopper's 1870 because of those buttons on legs from the shelf which suggests an Art & Craft element to the piece, i guess 1890.
« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 06:54:37 am by jacon4 »
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jalcon

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #18 on: November 08, 2013, 07:21:28 am »
Quote from: bigwull on November 07, 2013, 04:34:46 pm
Quote from: jalcon on November 07, 2013, 03:46:11 pm
Quote from: bigwull on November 07, 2013, 03:04:55 pm
Get yourself, an antique collectors Bible..."The Millers Antique Guide,..lots on ebay...much cheapness
......

Which one? The one by Judith Miller or the one by Martin Miller?
Mmm!!...another rivet counter...just what this place needs..we,ll go with..JM...as MM...was a Czech actor... ;D
https://www.google.co.uk/search?newwindow=1&q=martin+miller+actor&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGOovnz8BQMDAx8HixKXfq6-QXKZeVZlSafXpCvVCUbLc1TmaLXF7iwu2sN0EwBk6s3AKwAAAA&sa=X&ei=dhR8Utf_PNKqhAev7oHoBg&ved=0CKsBEOkTMBE&biw=1184&bih=573.

wat

When I went to ebay and searched what you said, dozens of these came up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Book-THE-COMPLETE-GUIDE-TO-ANTIQUES-by-MARTIN-MILLER-/400331408695?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item5d359c8537

Upon going to amazon, these came up and other's like it.

http://www.amazon.com/Millers-Antiques-Handbook-Price-2012-2013/dp/1845336380

Which one is it?
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jacon4

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #19 on: November 08, 2013, 07:57:15 am »
That's only visual.

Exhibitions, galleries, auction houses, even just " window shopping " at respected outlets - see things first hand.

Ipcress stumbled upon the reality of dating old furniture, books will only help to ID furniture styles, they help very little when the question is, what date?

Construction details tell you what tools were used, how it was joined, what kind of nails, hardware, etc. Naturally, one has to know or learn what the dates were of the const details that were used by the guy who built a particular piece. That sort of knowledge is only acquired by examining furniture in person and reading about when certain construction practices were used and with what kind of materials.


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Ipcress

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #20 on: November 08, 2013, 08:22:04 am »
" stumbled "

Good grief.
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jacon4

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #21 on: November 08, 2013, 10:20:23 am »
LOL @ good grief

A bit of pay back for that inferior comment! I had considered using the very american slang of "even a blind squirrel will stumble upon an acorn every now and then" but rejected it as to long & cumbersome.
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Ipcress

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #22 on: November 08, 2013, 11:36:47 am »
Inferior was said with a ' razz ' smiley as we've joked about it before


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mart

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #23 on: November 08, 2013, 12:00:17 pm »
Take it with a grain of salt Jacon4 !!  Ipcress has to rib us occasionally,, but in a jovial manner !!  :D
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jacon4

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #24 on: November 08, 2013, 12:03:47 pm »
as was stumble! I just didnt add an emoticon
« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 12:31:02 pm by jacon4 »
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jacon4

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #25 on: November 08, 2013, 12:47:09 pm »
You gotta admit you kinda stepped into this one as the piece turned out to be english after all :)
« Last Edit: November 08, 2013, 01:45:27 pm by jacon4 »
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bigwull

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #26 on: November 08, 2013, 02:41:37 pm »
We may not agree on many things...but..on this we are ..100%,..methinks we,d better get our hard hats on... ;D
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jalcon

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #27 on: November 08, 2013, 04:45:49 pm »
I have no idea what you guys are talking about, but yeah..which book ? See my above post.
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jacon4

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #28 on: November 08, 2013, 05:04:47 pm »
Jalcon, we were shooting the 'ol bull in regards to the merits of american VS english furniture.

As far as books go, it really depends on what style of furniture one collects or what century. For instance, a book on early furniture would not include victorian forms so you really need to decide which style or era of furniture fashion that interests you.
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bigwull

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Re: How to date furniture?
« Reply #29 on: November 08, 2013, 05:13:11 pm »
Quote from: jalcon on November 08, 2013, 07:21:28 am
Quote from: bigwull on November 07, 2013, 04:34:46 pm
Quote from: jalcon on November 07, 2013, 03:46:11 pm
Quote from: bigwull on November 07, 2013, 03:04:55 pm
Get yourself, an antique collectors Bible..."The Millers Antique Guide,..lots on ebay...much cheapness
......

Which one? The one by Judith Miller or the one by Martin Miller?
Mmm!!...another rivet counter...just what this place needs..we,ll go with..JM...as MM...was a Czech actor... ;D
https://www.google.co.uk/search?newwindow=1&q=martin+miller+actor&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAGOovnz8BQMDAx8HixKXfq6-QXKZeVZlSafXpCvVCUbLc1TmaLXF7iwu2sN0EwBk6s3AKwAAAA&sa=X&ei=dhR8Utf_PNKqhAev7oHoBg&ved=0CKsBEOkTMBE&biw=1184&bih=573.

wat

When I went to ebay and searched what you said, dozens of these came up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/2003-Book-THE-COMPLETE-GUIDE-TO-ANTIQUES-by-MARTIN-MILLER-/400331408695?pt=Antiquarian_Collectible&hash=item5d359c8537

Upon going to amazon, these came up and other's like it.

http://www.amazon.com/Millers-Antiques-Handbook-Price-2012-2013/dp/1845336380

Which one is it?
Its a simple case of...eeny.meany.min ey,mo. ;D.
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I make no excuses,and no apologies....but i like a good Malt,
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