How to Write an Accurate Antique Furniture Description and Date
Write defensible antique furniture descriptions that separate observation, attribution, date ranges, restoration, provenance and uncertainty.
Read guideThe field notes / category
Antique Dating Periods
31 published guides on repair, care and the stories behind well-made things.
How to Resolve Conflicting Dating Evidence in Antique Furniture
Weigh conflicting design, timber, joinery, hardware, surface and provenance evidence to reach a defensible antique furniture date range.
Read guide
Furniture Labels, Stamps and Registration Marks: Dating Evidence
Use furniture labels, stamps, serial numbers, addresses, patents and design registrations as dating evidence while recognising transfers and later production.
Read guide
How to Identify Married and Composite Antique Furniture
Identify cabinets, stands, tops, bases and fragments assembled from different furniture by testing proportion, junctions, construction and surface history.
Read guide
Recognising Repairs and Replacement Parts in Antique Furniture
Identify repaired and replaced feet, tops, rails, drawers, blocks and hardware by comparing design, construction, surface and protected evidence.
Read guide
Drawer Construction as Evidence in Dating Antique Furniture
Date antique furniture drawers through dovetails, linings, bottoms, runners, locks, tool marks and consistency while recognising replacements and repairs.
Read guide
Recognising Artificial Ageing in Antique Furniture
Recognise manufactured patina, false wear, worm holes, staining and distressed construction by testing whether ageing follows function and material history.
Read guide
Using Underside and Protected Wood Colour to Date Furniture
Compare exposed and protected wood colour, oxidation and finish beneath antique furniture without relying on misleading colour-only dating rules.
Read guide
How Genuine Wear Develops on Antique Furniture
Recognise functional wear on antique furniture by comparing contact points, protected areas, surface layers and the object’s actual pattern of use.
Read guide
Reading Mouldings on Antique Furniture
Use moulding profiles, scale, tool evidence, corners and interruptions to assess antique furniture design, date and later replacement parts.
Read guide
Reading Carving on Antique Furniture: Design, Toolwork and Later Additions
Assess antique furniture carving through design, grain, tool sequence, surface, repetition and structural context to recognise quality and later additions.
Read guide
How to Judge the Quality of Antique Furniture
Judge antique furniture quality through design, timber, construction, surface and consistency rather than decoration, age or famous-name assumptions.
Read guide