January, 1921 
17 
In certain rooms it is necessary to have an outstanding piece of 
furniture of rich color yet of aged appearance. In such a scheme 
could he used this English chinoiserie desk, in the Queen Anne 
style, with the lacquer mirror above it. It is an old-looking piece 
and offered as a reproduction. Courtesy of W. & J. Sloane 
The chaise longue Miss Gheen copied 
was a Louis XV design in gilded 
wood with blue satin upholstery. It 
was enough to have copied the con¬ 
tour; the piece is sufficiently beauti¬ 
ful in its lines 
From this English \lth Cen¬ 
tury table could be made 
either faithful reproductions 
or an adaptation of the de¬ 
sign, as in the modern piece 
shown opposite 
ors and texture. In the latter territory these 
pieces emulate the reproductions. A skillful 
turn of the chisel, a calculated application of 
acid, a nice bit of carelessness in moving, a 
deft kick with an iron-shod heel, a happy turn 
of the gimlet and the effect of several cen¬ 
turies of time has been achieved. In fact we 
have here a mode of erasing centuries; decades 
are disposed of, ages annihilated at the work¬ 
man’s touch that values may be inflated to the 
bursting point. 
“Old Looking” Pieces 
But what use have such pieces since they are 
not old and do not duplicate old pieces? It is 
here that the demand appears for ‘‘old looking” 
pieces to suit a given place and style and to 
match an antique atmosphere pictured in ad¬ 
vance. An old piece may be too expensive. 
In fact it may not be obtainable in a form or 
of a color or size to fit the purpose in mind, 
so a new old piece is designed for this definite 
objective. It is the same procedure as that 
used by the theatrical producer. 
Shall we say this is an error of conscience? 
It surely is not practicing a fraud as long as 
all hands tell the truth as to the age and 
provenience of the piece. It all begins and 
ends in honesty, on the part of maker, seller 
and purchaser. 
There is a place for antiques, for reproduc¬ 
tions and for new pieces which simulate age— 
but there is no place for frauds, for fake an¬ 
tiques, any more than there is for paper-soled 
shoes in the army, coal in the Samoan islands 
or prohibition officers on the blissful isle of 
Bimini. 
The small cabinet 
shown below is an 
example of Italian 
work of the 16 th 
Century. Courtesy 
of the Metropolitan 
Museum of Art 
