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If you thought that maintaining and cleaning antique furniture is difficult wait till you have to identify the manufacturer of an antique table.
Most professional appraisers also have to specialize in only one style or period of furniture. So the simplest way to find the manufacturer would be to hire the services of a professional appraiser but if you are not interested in selling the piece and just want to find out about the maker out of curiosity here are a few tips that will help you.
Is genuine or just a new piece with a faux antique finish?
The first thing that you need to do is find out if your furniture is a genuine antique or just a new piece with a faux antique finish. There are numerous ways to recognize this.
However if the piece has been a family heirloom or if you remember seeing it in your grandma’s house as a kid, you can safely conclude that the piece is indeed old.
Stamps, seals or numbers
The next step is to look for manufacturer stamps, seals or numbers. This will usually be underneath or at the backside of the table.
If the table has been refinished or restored repeatedly it may have lost this identifier mark and you may have to look with a magnifying glass.
Identify Age
If you cannot find any such identifying stamps, the next step should be to determine the approximate age of the antique table. This can be done by examining the type of wood and veneer used. The type of polish or paint used and finally the color and patina and furniture moldings can also tell you a lot about the period of manufacture.
Periods and Styles
The various periods and the prominent styles of that period can roughly be dated as follows.
The colonial period encompasses two styles. The Colonial and Jacobean style was manufactured between 1620 and 1720 and The Queen Anne style was made from 1720-1750.
The Windsor style is the most replicated style and it is very common to see faux Windsor pieces in flea markets. So it is essential to closely examine a Windsor styled antique table.
A lot of antique American furniture belongs to the Federal Period. This period saw the rise of 3 distinct styles; the Sheraton style that lasted from 1780-1800, the Hepplewhite Style which preceded the Sheraton by a decade and was manufactured from 1780 to 1800 and finally the classic style which was used from 1810-1820.
Once you determine the approximate age of an antique, you can go to your local library to find furniture dating back to that specific period. Most books related to antique furniture appraisal will include pictures of the pieces made by different manufacturers in the different periods. You may also want to check on Google.
Alternatively, there are many sites which have the names of antique furniture manufacturers. One such site is http://www.efi-costarica.com/Antique-Furniture-Makers.html, which not only gives you the name of the manufacturer but also includes information on the period of time when that particular manufacturer was operating and the city of operation.
You would be surprised by the number of forums that are a meeting place for antique furniture aficionados, these are good places to post a picture of your antique table you just may find a person who may be able to give you pertinent information about your antique piece.
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