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Judging antique furniture About 1790, with the introduction of the Hepplewhite style and continuing through the American Empire period, a new kind of ……….. Those in the Hepplewhite style had slender, square tapering legs; the Sheraton ones had turned and reeded legs; in the American Empire slightly heavier turned legs were carved in leaf motifs.As for woods, American desks and secretaries of the William and Mary and Queen Anne periods were of walnut, maple, cherry or sometimes birch. During the Chippendale era the favorite woods were walnut, mahogany and sometimes cherry or maple. The Hepplewhite, Sheraton and American Empire styles favored mahogany, cherry or maple, with drawer fronts sometimes made of fancy-grained maple or satinwood veneer. Some desks were also ornamented with lines of inlay or nicely done medallions, such as a sunburst or an eagle. http://www.basic-antiques.com/furniture-judging.htm