How to Value Antique Furniture
It can be certain that from the moment our species climbed down from the trees and went in search of new pastures we have had a need to place our derrières somewhere agreeable. Be it on a comfortable rock in a cave or an elaborately upholstered sofa. Not to mention our sleeping arrangements, our food storage, our clothes, and other important objects that all need a safe or comfortable place. Furniture has developed right alongside us as we have progressed as a species. Becoming ever more elaborate as we discovered new materials and construction methods. Even after all this time innovative new designs are still being produced.
First of all the definition of an antique should be clarified. In the strictest sense it is any object that is over 100 years old but generally less than a thousand years old. The latter being termed antiquities. However these terms can be porous and tend to shift about nowadays according to individual countries interpretations. Nevertheless when talking about antique furniture one is generally referring to the 16th century up until the early 20th century. While earlier pieces are certainly around they are not common enough to merit mention, at least in this article.
The valuer of antique furniture must develop an encyclopaedic knowledge of woods, construction methods, reigns of monarchs, social history, current fashions and tastes, just to name a few. Skills that are developed over decades of immersing themselves in auction rooms, books, antique shops and museums. Understanding antique furniture requires a tactile approach. The timbers of a 300 hundred year old table have a certain buttery feel under the fingers, a depth to the patination, a wear to the edges that cannot be learned from just a salesroom catalogue or book.
So how is antique furniture valued? It requires collating multiple nuggets of information that are learned over decades of immersive study until a complete appraisal materialises.
Era
One of the first things to establish is what period of history does an item belong to. Is it classically Georgian, and if so which George? Is it flamboyantly Victorian or is it more stylishly Art Deco? Each era has its own distinct style, use of woods and construction. To understand antique furniture one must have a solid knowledge of history and how the world was developing at the time.
Woods
This is an obvious one when it comes to furniture but when one realises that over 30 different types of woods were used in British antique furniture since the 17th century alone it becomes imperative to know how to correctly identify them. A good knowledge of woods is essential to completing the jigsaw puzzle of attribution. Generally there are just a handful of woods that are commonly encountered such as oak, rosewood, mahogany and walnut but one needs to know where they fit in alongside the history of the world. Mahogany, for example, is not a British wood. It was discovered by colonists in Central America and one kind, Cuban mahogany, was exploited to such a degree that it was pushed to near extinction (more about this towards the end of the article). Dutch settlers landing on the shores of South Africa in the 17th century soon found rich indigenous forests to make use of for their colony with slow growing woods such as yellowwood and stinkwood. Correctly determining the wood will quickly help put the furniture sleuth on the correct path to identification.
Construction
As furniture progressed through the ages so did the method of construction. The knowledge of master craftsmen stand on the shoulders of the many that came before them. Early furniture was made from simple planks or boards that were nailed together. Later a framework united by mortise and tenon joints held in place by wooden dowels or trenails and filled with panels become common. Into the 18th century dowels were used less as glues improved. In the late 17th century dovetail joints began making an appearance in case furniture such as chest-of-drawers. Early furniture also tends to be constructed of solid wood but as new and exotic woods started to be discovered, and as mentioned the improvement of glues, veneers started to be used more commonly.
Patination
To anyone that is interested in collecting antique furniture, patination and colour are like the jam in a sandwich. They can pull everything together. Good patination can make a seemingly ordinary piece soar in value. It also stands as a good protection against fakes or ‘improvements’ as it is practically impossible to reproduce. Centuries of fading, dirt, wax and just general use can combine to give an item a unique and rich lustre that amplifies the woods grain. Patination can sometimes be down to individual taste however as not everyone appreciates it or is even conscious of it. I have seen many a well coloured piece stripped down and over-polished in favour of a more glitzy look. Nevertheless it is something to be aware of and conserved if possible as I believe it does enhance and ultimately adds value.
Fashion and aesthetics
Patination could certainly be included under this heading as well but just as each piece comes from a certain time in history so too does must it to fit into our current era. Fashions and tastes are fluid, constantly shifting with our fickle ways. Most know the term ‘brown furniture’ and how it has been in floundering in the doldrums for the last 20 years or so with a huge drop in value. However as one area falters so another does well. This is often down to generational changes and the way we live our lives. Understanding how furniture fits into our lives today gives one a better idea how a piece might be coveted and ultimately valued.
Architects and cabinet makers
Certain names are synonymous when it comes to antique furniture such as architects William Adam (1689-1748) and his sons Robert (1728-1792) and James (1732-1794) developers of the Adam Style. The ‘big three of the 18th century’ Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) and his trade catalogue The Gentleman and Cabinet Maker’s Director (1754), George Hepplewhite (1727-1786) and Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806). The 19th century had the likes of Thomas Hope (1769-1831), Michael Thonet (1796-1871) and Francois Linke (1855-1946). The 20th century birthed the Bauhaus style with designer architects like Walter Gropius (1883-1969) and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969), not to mention women like Eileen Gray (1878-1976) who began to make inroads into the previously male dominated world of furniture design. It is impossible to even scratch the surface in this short article when comes to all the people that have influenced the look and shape of our furniture. However they are names that are essential to know if the correct attribution is to be applied to a piece.
Condition, conservation and restoration
No piece that has survived hundreds of years is going to have escaped some restoration. It is expected and will enhance a piece when done correctly. When it is not done correctly a large amount of value can certainly be detracted. Restoration is expensive so if an old bodged job has to be dismantled and put right one can be sure it will be costly undertaking. Often it is not worth doing at all. A piece that has had a significant amount of its veneer replaced or repolished poorly is just not going to have the same cache as a piece in near to original condition. Pieces in good condition are prized not only for the above reason but also there is an appreciation for something that has come down through the ages with minimal molestation. It makes it more complete and unusual, thus rarer. Not to mention that good conservation helps to preserve a piece for the future, thus ones investment is preserved.
Social history
Throughout the ages, as society has progressed, or degressed depending on your point of view, there have been certain events and discoveries that have change our histories forever. Knowing how such events have shaped things can give one insight and help with identification. For example if you see a Victorian linen press advertised as Cuban mahogany then know that the seller is most likely misinformed or lying in regards to their claim. Cuban mahogany only appears very briefly in British antique furniture from around 1720. Being a dense and slow growing wood it was all but wiped out by the second half of the 18th century by the expanding British Empire and became commercially unviable. It was then replaced by Honduras mahogany. As the Industrial Revolution took hold more and more industry was mechanised, including cabinet making. Woods were no longer hand cut leaving distinctive telltale markings, machines allowed veneers to be cut more thinly, while furniture factories sprung up allowing pieces to be produced in much greater numbers. As the world changed so did how our furniture was made. Knowing where a piece fits alongside our social history sequence helps tremendously in understanding it and in turn valuing it.
Here at iValuations you’ll find experts in over 50 categories of art, antiques and collectibles that are waiting to give impartial professional, affordable and in-depth valuation reports in a timeous and easy to use manner.
