THE HOUSE AND ITS EOUII MEX T 



67 



HOW TO CHOOSE OLD FURNITURE. 



.1 ll tirniiit; A^iinsl I- rene/i I n/is/i Monk s Hcnchcs and (iti/c-lc^ Tallies Old / mv\ a i/li Added Carving - 

 Spurious Sutiir.i-ood f.tici/i/eret/ 1 itrcx- The \ eed /or Watchfulness Some Tvfiictil &amp;lt;,eninne Specimens. 



as early as 17,50. 

 since. Lacquere 



TO those ol us who li;ivu been brought up from childhood surrounded by the furniture of our lore- 

 lathers the buying of old furniture does not present many difficulties ; but everyone, expert 

 and amateur, ought to examine with the greatest (are the elaborately carved and Inlaid pieces 

 which run into high figures. Speaking broadly of English furniture, oak was used from the 

 earliest times until about the middle of the seventeenth century, when the use of walnut became 

 general and (lie carving found on oak was replaced 

 by the saw-cut veneer of walnut, with its beautiful 

 figure &quot; and rich tone. Authorities differ as to the 

 date when mahogany was introduced into this 

 country ; but it was probably extensively utilised 

 and has continued in use ever 

 furniture was introduced from 



China and Japan in the last half of the seventeenth 

 century, and was soon copied by English, Dutch 

 and Spanish workmen. The European copies are 

 easily distinguished by the untruthful representa 

 tions of the Oriental figures and their surroundings. 

 Satinwood, with its attendant inlays of king, hair, 

 Inlip and other woods, came into vogue in the third 

 quarter of the eighteenth century. At this time 

 furniture was gilded and painted under the 

 influence of the brothers Adam. \Yalnut and 

 mahogany enriched by gilding were also very 

 popular from 1720 to 1740, and were often used on 

 the furniture designed by Kent. Rosewood was 

 employed at quite the end of the eighteenth 

 century, though it has been used for the purpose of 

 inlay since the days of the Tudors. The novice, if 

 he wishes to make a tine collection, should first of 

 all go to museums and houses where he knows he 

 can iiud undoubted examples of old furniture, 

 until he gradually acquires the intuition of 

 knowing the genuine thing from the forgery, as 



well as the general appearance of pieces of 



IOV-INLAID WITH MOTHER-OF-PEARL. 



hands of a reputable and honest dealer. We 

 specimen which is French polished ; that is 



different dates and origins. On the other hand, 

 if he merely wishes to furnish his house with 

 old things, he should put himself into the 

 think that the first thing to guard against is the 



to say, covered with the red, sticky, treacly medium which one finds smeared over furniture of all woods 

 and periods, to the obliteration of the grain and natural colour of the wood. This treatment was intro 

 duced in the middle of the last century. It is very difficult to know whether the piece is genuine unless 

 this is removed, which should be insisted upon, and it must be remembered that when the polish is removed 

 the wood appears dull and lifeless ; however, if the piece proves to be an old one, a great deal of its original 

 beauty of colour and grain can be brought back by simply oiling and waxing and repeated polishings with 

 a soft cloth. Many collectors will reject any piece of furniture, however genuine, unless it possesses its 

 original patina and colour, which only age and constant attention can give it. The most difficult thing to 

 detect is what is called &quot; made up &quot; furniture ; that is to say, pieces made up of old wood. For instance, 

 old panelling and carved fronts of oak chests, worth a few pounds, are converted into oak buffets or 

 cupboards, for which one is asked fifty pounds or more, according to their importance. The carcases 

 of these pieces should always be examined very carefully, and the presence in unusual places of nail-holes 



