Oak Furniture from the Past
Late last spring a travelling antique show passed through one of the U.K.'s major cities. I had the privilege of attending the show which featured everything from art work to coins to rare historical items. Although the variety of items was rather large and impressive, it seemed that the show centred on antique furniture. Receiving special attention was the oak furniture category.
The particular piece that caught the eye of appraisers was a chest of drawers from the mid to late 19th century. It was still in excellent, and one look clearly demonstrated that the craftsmanship of this piece was of the highest order. Despite being more than 100 years old, there were no visible cracks, joint separations, or warped wood. Of course, the finish had worn over the years, and subsequent owners probably stripped and refinished it several times, but it was still in great condition.
One of the appraisers who looked at the piece immediately commented on the elegant brass fixtures. These fixtures had been hand-crafted and were original to the chest. The intricacy of the fixtures was so detailed, that with a magnifying glass you could see the fine lines and textures of the floral pattern that had been chosen. It was absolutely remarkable.
The next thing the appraiser noticed was the decorative moulding around the perimeter of each drawer face. The particular pattern, as well as the method by which it had been attached, indicated the likelihood that the chest was made by a very specific builder around a very specific time. Much to my chagrin, I can no longer remember the man's name or when and where he worked, but the appraiser was so sure of his assessment, he was willing to place an auction value on this piece based solely on those two facts.
If this chest of drawers had any flaws, it would be the fact that a small piece of the back wall was not original. It appeared that one section had been damaged in some way, and the owner had fixed it by cutting out the damaged section and replacing it with a new piece of wood. The patch was significantly old as well, but certainly not as old as the original wood. Unfortunately, there's no way to know when and where this fix was applied, or the circumstances surrounding it.
I saw several other pieces of beautiful oak furniture that day, but none compared to the fine chest of drawers that so many of us were fascinated with. That's one of the things I love about antique shows. Finding one or two special pieces that stand out above the rest - it's one of life's greatest thrills.