The Allure of Antique Furniture
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What is it about antique furniture that gets people so excited? There are so many reasons. Some people find it is the craftsmanship and beauty is what draws them to pieces of furniture from ages past. For other people enjoying the historical significance of collecting furniture from long ago is what makes it special. There will be others who may think of buying old furniture as an investment that could have a financial pay off in the future. Regardless of why you choose to enter the world of antiques, you are sure to find plenty of fulfilling shopping for and purchasing beautiful pieces of furniture.
Furniture is different to other types of collectibles. Furniture is normally collected according to time period rather than a type of item. No one wants to have just tables or just chairs from different time periods and most of wouldn't have the room to do so. The most popular way of collecting furniture from ages past is to choose a prefered time period and look for items from that period. There are many different periods from which you can choose, the Queen Anne period dates back to 1702-1714 and is characterized by delicate lines, excellent balance and a lack of excessive adornment. This contrasts with the later Louis XV period which features gilding and intricate scrollwork.
There is not only the time period, you may find that you have a particular building material you are most fond of. Most antiques are crafted from wood, although there are many different types of wood that you may come across. Rosewood is one such wood that was popular in Victorian times for many different types of furniture. Walnut was commonly used in the 17th and 18th centuries. Beech was used from the 17th to 19th centuries as a popular wood for framing and for furniture that was to be painted. Once you know how to recognize different woods and their patinas, you will be able to select quality pieces and reject fakes.
Talking of fakes, this is something that anyone wanting to collect antique furniture needs to know about. Unfortunately, there are reproductions that are sold as the real thing to unaware customers. Sometimes, the sellers themselves may not even be aware that the piece they are selling is not a real antique. Before you go shopping, it's a good idea to do some reading and research about the time period of furniture you are in the market for. By understanding the characteristics that define real antiques as well as fakes, you can often distinguish a real antique from a reproduction copy.
Copyright 2007 Tony Legg - All Rights Reserved
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