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THE HOUSE AND ITS EQUIPMENT. 



or signs where locks or hinges have once been should be regarded with great suspicion. The general 

 decoration and construction should be studied ; unless the carving has been added when the piece was 

 &quot; made up,&quot; one will often find odd bits of carving inserted that have no relation to each other, and which, 

 if looked at with a critical eye, will impress one as being obviously out of place. The dates on oak- 

 furniture should always be disregarded until the genuineness of the piece has been proved by its internal 

 evidence of construction, condition and carving. 



Table-chairs or monks benches, the back working on a hinge or wood-peg to form a table, are 

 frequently made up from an ordinary old oak armchair or bench and a table top, in consequence of the 

 rarity of the genuine article. The ordinary plain but genuine oak gate-leg table with plain turned legs 

 can be bought very cheaply, but the example with spiral legs, and especially those with spiral under 

 stretchers, fetch a great deal more money owing to their scarcity. The genuine spirals were done with 



a hand lathe, and had sometimes two and three separate 

 spirals, which are somewhat uneven and show the individual 

 hand of the workman, whereas the modern ones display 

 all the hard regularity of the machine. Moreover, a close 

 scrutiny will also show the rough stain of the freshly-cut 

 wood, unless it has been hidden under some thick colouring 

 matter. The surface of the carving on both oak and 

 mahogany should show the same colour and wear as the rest 

 of the piece ; and though the forger takes the greatest care 

 to rub down the edges of his new work and to colour in his 

 tool marks, he is, after all, only mortal, and a careful 

 examination will show a rough edge which would have been 

 worn down, or a chip of newly-cut wood which would never 

 have remained so light in colour during the course of two 

 or three centuries. 



It is curious how comparatively few plain mahogany 

 tripod tables one comes across, the reason being that they 

 are eagerly bought up by the forger for a few pounds, and 

 emerge again carved and glorified at ten or twenty times 

 the original value. Certainly eighty per cent, of the tripod 

 tables and rectangular &quot;silver-tables&quot; with spindle or fret 

 galleries or richly-carved edges which the writer has seen 

 lately have been forgeries. In judging these tables, one should 

 first of all see that the balance of the table is correct. The 

 addition of a gallery or the reduction of the size of the top 

 by carving may make it too clumsy or too light, as the case 

 may be, for the size of the legs. Next, the pillar or the 

 points of the toes may have been carved away, which will 

 at once give the table an appearance of insecurity. Again, 

 the fret or gallery and top must be examined for any sign 

 of colouring matter, and absence of original surface and fine 

 marks of sand-paper are an almost infallible proof that it 

 has been through the hands of the restorer. 



A tripod table was recently offered to the writer, 

 which at first sight appeared to be a very rare example of 

 Chippendale s finest work. The top had a very richly 

 carved and shaped border ; the pillar and legs were noble 

 in proportion and also very finely carved. But, looking at 

 the table from a constructional point of view, the proportions 

 of the lower part seemed a trifle heavy for the top. On 

 examining the carving, parts here and there showed traces of having been recently rubbed down, and there 

 was a difference in the &quot; skin &quot; at the top next the carved edge compared with the centre, which was of rich 

 and beautiful colour and in an untouched condition. On looking at the underneath part of the top, the ends 

 of both supports, &quot;which were used to strengthen the table, had been undoubtedly shortened, and the 

 screws appeared too close to the end. The problem now became interesting, and on carefully examining 

 the outer edge below the carving two minute holes at each end were found carefully filled with new soft 

 putty. The case was now proved, because the tell-tale holes had originally contained the points of the 

 old screws, the shaping of the top having necessitated their removal. The table had been a fine old 

 Spanish mahogany piece of about 1750, with probably a plain top and a heavy pillar, massive legs and 

 club feet, a type which is a veritable find for the &quot; faker,&quot; who can work to his heart s content on its 



104. WILLIAM in. 



