‘Provenance’ in simplified terms means the documented history of an Antique. In ‘documented history’ I am talking about who made the Antique,  who owned it, when and where etc. In all cases, the more important the Antique, the more important it is to establish the provenance.  It can make the difference of a few thousand dollars to many millions!

There are many ways to establish provenance on an Antique. From appearing in a journal, auction record or photograph, to a signature on the piece or a letter from the owner or maker. A photo of the piece in it’s setting decades earlier is great to have.

We had a dining room suite made by ‘Camille Gauthier’, a famous and important Art Nouveau cabinet maker of the early 20th Century.  Our suite came with the original catalogue from the 1920′s which actually illustrated the suite in its entirety.  The provenance was immediately established by the little catalogue not more than 3″ x 5″. That small catalogue was as valuable as the suite itself!

I caught a very interesting program on CBS the other night, regarding a truck driving woman in her 70′s who bought a painting at a thrift store in California for 5$.  She’s been offered up to $9M dollars for the piece but stubbornly refuses to sell it, holding out for more money.

It’s an interesting story because she had no art background or training but liked the painting because she thought it was ‘ugly’ and bought it as a joke to show her friend.   She talked the thrift store vendor down from $8 to $5.

The friend, an art teacher saw the painting and thought it might be a ‘Jackson Pollock.’  ’Jackson Pollock’ for those of you who may not be familiar with his name,  is an important American painter from the 1940′s whose paintings now fetch in the 10′s of millions of dollars.  The painting shown below is a photo of the actual work she found.

She has spent lots of money and time on trying to get the painting authenticated and some of the evidence is intriguing.  In fact, there is a supposed fingerprint on the painting that an ‘authority’ has confirmed is that of the fame artist himself.

The only problem is there is no provenance to the painting. The lady who owned the thrift store died years before and cannot say where she got it from which may of established a trail back to Jackson Pollock himself.

Sadly the trail begins and ends with the lady truck driver and that is a big problem.

Even with the so-called ‘authoritarian’s’ findings, ie. the fingerprint match, the art world will not confirm the painting is an authentic Jackson Pollock.   The Art world experts say the painting lacks the soul and heart of the Artist. All ’Jackson Pollock’ experts denounce the painting as a fake for the reasons cited above.  That does not do the lady truck driver any good whatsoever.

In fact, all she’s done is say they are all frauds and immediately establishing enemies in high places. Not a particularly bright move.

And just recently the ‘expert’ who confirmed the fingerprint has been exposed as a convicted fraudster many time over.  In fact, he is in league with the seller in splitting the profits of the painting.  ( he resides in Montreal )

So, without ‘provenance’ the painting is a very difficult sell.  In my opinion, the truck wielding old woman should have grabbed the $9Million when she could. The last information I could find on this story is a gallery in Toronto in 2008 tried to sell it for $50M Dollars.  Whether it sold or not remains unknown as I have not found any more current information.

We had a desk owned by the famed French composer ‘Michel Legrande.’  He was famous is the 1950′s for writing many musical scores for famous Hollywood movies among other things. He is still alive and well and living in Paris today.

How did we know the antique desk was his?  We discovered letters addressed to him squashed behind a drawer and also his personal address book from the 1960′s.  It was fascinating to read about all the people he knew from Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, Yves Montand, Catherine Deneuve, Gene Kelly, Decca Records in Hollywood…etc. etc.  All their addresses and private phone numbers were there in Mon. Legrandes’ handwriting.

While it is not our mandate increase prices due to provenance , we could have done so quite easily and with good right.  We sold the desk with its interesting provenance to a lawyer who uses the desk daily at its original asking price.  We now have an elated customer who has seen referred us much business.

In our business we look for signatures more than provenance.  When an antique is ‘signed’ by the cabinet maker, and if the cabinet maker is important, then the antique is worth a considerable amount.   You will also notice us saying ‘attributed to’ meaning we can’t confirm the artist, or cabinetmaker, but we ‘think’ it may be him due to the following reasons whatever they may be.

The Following photo is a table and sideboard we currently have in stock at the store.

When we purchased these two pieces, were told the two Antiques were made by ‘Maison Kreiger, Paris‘ which is a famous cabinetmaker of the highest quality furniture.  Antoine Kreiger’s furniture sells for several thousands of dollars.

We found a label but someone has scratched out the name!!  Confounding to say the least.

We know the time period the antiques were made and the quality is top of the line, so we can feel comfortable in saying it’s attributed rather than a positive confirmation.  Hence the price is reduced even though the quality is top of the line on these antiques. We are still doing research on these two pieces and if we can establish provenance the value will increase.

We’ve had many signed pieces in before.  In fact I just sold a set of ‘Thonet’ chairs from Paris made in the 20′s.  Thonet chairs were favorites among artists like Pablo Picasso etc.  The name “Thonet” was clearly marked and stamped on each chair and are still produced today.

I have a ‘Louis Majorelle’ Cabinet coming in, in about 10 days.  I bought this myself and I am having it restored.  This piece is stamped ‘Majorelle’ so it’s provenance is indisputable.  It is also worth a considerable sum of money!

I hope this weeks’ blog has helped understand provenance and it’s complexities.  If you feel you have something that may be valuable, please feel free to contact us at any time. If we can’t help we can re-direct you to someone who could.

Regards,

Mark LaFleur

Antique Furniture Joints – Determine the quality of your antique furniture.

Recognizing different kinds of furniture joints can help you determine the quality of antique furniture.

If you discover that a chair is constructed using mortise and tenon joints as opposed to dowel construction you can be sure it’s a high quality chair. The same is true about furniture with dovetail construction on the drawers as opposed to rabbet joint drawers. Dovetails are a better joint and will last indefinitely.

A basic knowledge of antique furniture joints is also important in antique furniture repair for a number of reasons. If joints are loose on a piece of furniture, you’ll probably have to disassemble the piece to re-glue it.

When you look at the exterior surface of a joint, you may only see a line where the two pieces of wood meet. Your knowledge of antique furniture joints can give you understanding of what’s hidden below the surface of that line, enabling you to work the joint loose without breaking it. If you have a broken joint or pieces are missing, knowing the type of joint you’re working with allows you to repair it properly.

Butt Joint

A butt joint is made when two pieces of wood are butted together and glued. Boards are commonly joined end grain to edge grain, edge grain to edge grain, or edge grain to face grain, although other configurations are possible. When you glue an end-grain surface of one board to another wood surface, the joint won’t hold unless it’s reinforced with dowel pins or some other reinforcement. The reason for the reinforcement is that the end grain of wood doesn’t provide enough solid surface for the bonding process to take place. When magnified, end grain looks much like the end of a group of drinking straws bunched together. Consequently, the open end of the grain fibers absorbs most of the glue you apply to the joint and doesn’t leave enough on the surface to provide a good bond.

When you use the butt joint to glue two or more boards side by side, or edge grain to edge grain as when making a wide top for a table, however, the joint can be quite strong. You must make sure that the joining edges are planed smooth to form a perfect fit, though, and that the joint is glued and clamped sufficiently.

Lap Joint

Lap joints are created when two pieces of wood overlap one another at a right angle. Usually at least one piece of wood is notched out, allowing the other piece to fit down into it. This kind of lap joint is called a full-lap joint. Both pieces may also be notched to half of their thickness, allowing them to fit into each other. These lap joints are known as half-lap joints.

Miter Joint

The miter joint is formed by cutting corresponding angles, usually 45 degrees, on the ends of two pieces of wood and joining them together. The most common use of the miter joint in furniture is in mirror and picture frames. The miter joint may be reinforced with pins or dowels or with the installation of a wooden back panel, often 1/4-inch plywood.

Rabbet Joint

When you notch the end or the edge of a piece of wood and use that notch to join two boards, you’ve created a rabbet joint. You can also make a rabbet joint by notching both pieces of wood. The rabbet joint is not a strong joint in itself and is usually secured with fasteners like nails or screws. Sometimes drawer sides are joined to the fronts with rabbet joints. Rabbet antique furniture joints are used in casework furniture like chests or in some drawers to join the sides to the front and/or back. Cabinet backs can also be joined to the case with rabbet joints.

Dado Joint

A dado is a groove cut across the grain of a piece of wood. A dado joint is formed by cutting a dado in one piece of wood the exact size as the square-cut edge of another piece. The square-cut edge of the second piece is then inserted into the groove of the first piece to form a tight, secure joint. This type of joint is also usually glued. Dado joints are commonly used to join wood at right angles, as in bookcase shelves. Sometimes the dado is hidden because the groove is not cut all the way across the board to the front of the bookcase. This kind of dado joint is called a blind dado.

Mortise and Tenon Joint

The mortise and tenon joint is one of the strongest antique furniture joints, and its use usually signifies quality furniture. The mortise and tenon joint is normally formed by cutting a square tongue (the tenon) on the end of one piece of wood and an equal size square hole or slot (the mortise) in another. The tongue of the first piece is then inserted into the slot of the second. Although not necessary, sometimes a pin or peg is also inserted through the joint, perpendicular to the tenon, locking the joint together. Mortise and tenon joints have been used not only in furniture but in the construction of centuries old wooden bridges, barns, and houses. Many of these structures still stand today, a testimony to the strength and stability of the mortise and tenon joint.

Dowel Joint

Dowel joints are basically substitutes for mortise and tenon joints. Many modern pieces, particularly chairs, are constructed using dowel joints. A dowel joint is made by fitting a butt joint and then drilling corresponding holes in the two pieces of wood to be joined and inserting the dowel pin or pins before joining the pieces. Glue is used in this type of joint, and the dowel pins serve as round tenons, holding the two pieces together. Although dowel antique furniture joints are commonly used and are easier to make than a mortise and tenon joint, they usually aren’t as strong.

Dovetail Joint

The dovetail joint is one of the most distinctive and best antique furniture joints used in furniture construction to join wood at a right angle. Easily distinguishable by its multiple flared tenons, which interlock like fingers and look like doves’ tails, the dovetail forms a strong, durable joint. Most commonly used to attach drawer sides to drawer fronts, dovetails joints almost always indicate quality furniture. Antique and handmade furniture were built using hand-cut dovetails created with fine-toothed saws and chisels. Modern manufactured dovetails joints are cut by machine and are usually distinguishable from the hand-cut type because the interlocking flared tenons, called pins or tails, are exactly the same size and are evenly spaced. Hand-cut dovetail antique furniture joints usually have tails that differ slightly in size and may vary in spacing. Machine-cut dovetails joints are excellent, strong joints, but the old hand-cut variety is still hard to beat.

Dovetail joints can be constructed using either “through” dovetails or “half-blind” dovetails. Through dovetails are cut all the way through the thickness of both joining pieces of wood, with the “fingers” visible from two sides. Half-blind dovetails are cut so that the dovetails are visible only from one side. An example of a half-blind dovetail joint would be where a drawer side is joined to a drawer front with dovetails that are not visible on the face of the drawer front.

Thanks for reading!

Mark

While most Antiques lovers consider painting an antique a sacrilege, I’m a little less of a puritan than that. If that’s what you want, then go right ahead. But consider reading my blog carefully before lifting that paint brush!

Believe it or not, some antiques actually do look better when painted. I examine each piece on a case by case scenario before deciding to paint or not.

These are the factors I consider!

1.  How old is the antique?

If it’s 50 years old or less than it’s usually a good candidate for a lick of paint. However, a 100 yr old broken down French Antique Henri II piece could be painted.  And look quite wonderful too. These pieces are usually made of Oak, and oak takes paint nicely.

2. How valuable is the antique?

I wouldn’t paint any antique I paid a lot for. We have lots of pieces in our store that are cheap and cheerful and would look amazing with a coat of ‘antique french white’. In fact a cheap antique once painted can double in value if done right. You wouldn’t believe how many people come in and purchase an expensive antique and then announce they are painting the thing!  It happens way too much and I always suggest a less expensive alternative.

3. What is the design of the antique?

If the design of the antique is quite linear and is dependant on the veneering or inlays for the design than painting such a piece may disappoint. I have found that an antique with lots of carving is the best candidate for paint. The carving ‘pops’ when painted and looks sensational.  Like the antique Henri II piece I mentioned above.

An antique like this buffet hutch on the left, while it a shame to paint, would take a coat of paint quite nicely and change the appearance dramatically.  All the carving and detail would literally ‘pop’ off this antique!

We recently painted a lovely early 20th Century antique French Commode with simple lines but veneered with lots of exotic and rare woods. I wouldn’t have painted this antique for the world, but the client wanted it.  Because the design of the antique was simple the piece ended up looking less exciting than a highly carved antique. This was a mistake as far as I am concerned but the client was thrilled. And I was happy he was satisfied.

4. How interested are you in reselling or handing down the antique in later years.

You should know that once a good antique has been painted, that’s virtually the end of the line for the piece. That’s why I highly discourage anyone from doing anything to a higher end antique. So many lower priced alternatives are out there.

Once paint has been applied to the antique the original patina of the piece is obviously gone,  but even if you change your mind months or years later and decide to restore the finish you will never regain the original patina of the antique. You can NEVER restore an original patina that took years of oxidation to develop.

Consider the wood of the antique?

If the antique is a beautiful piece of Mahogany made furniture, paint it if you want, but consider this…..you will NEVER be able to change your mind and get the original finish back.  You could get something close, but it will cost hundreds maybe thousands of dollars to restore a mahogany finish that would please you.

Is the original finish shot?

If it’s a very old antique and the finish is completely gone, than a painted finish could do the trick. It’s going to need refinishing anyway, so painting may be a reasonable alternative.

We had a 19th Century French antique games table with a completely ruined finish.  Every square inch of the piece needed refinishing. It would have taken hours, and frankly, wasn’t really worth it. We painted it a matte black ( it was mahogany too ) and it sold within days. It was gorgeous!

However, this is a story that sickens!

We had a client who bought an absolutely gorgeous burled walnut veneered antique bookcase/china cabinet that she paid a lot for. The piece was an early English 20th Century high end piece with a patina to die for.  We almost choked when the client told us she was painting it white.  I suggested maybe select something else, but no, this client was insistent.  And so it went, this absolutely stunning antique China Cabinet, to the painters. That was sad.

I also had a client who was nuts about silver.  She silver leafed everything. She bought a beautiful 19th Century antique French Settee with it’s original walnut patina.  It was gorgeous and expensive with beautiful detail and carving.   She told me she was going to ‘silver leaf’ the thing and I shuddered with disbelief.

Hey I’m in the business of selling antique furniture, so if someone wants to silver leaf an antique period Louis XV piece than go right ahead.  It’s sacrilege in my opinion and I’d love to say I won’t sell you the piece.  But business is business and I wouldn’t be open for long if I started shoving my values down people’s throats. I ALWAYS recommend another alternative but if a client is insistent than what can I do.

Thankfully this client decided against painting the piece! I sighed a deep breath of relief when she told me she took my advice.  Good thing too…because three years later the lady had to resell her antique.  She got almost full value because she hadn’t touched the integrity of this fine 19th Century antique!

So my advice about painting Antiques.  I wouldn’t unless it’s something you feel would look better painted.  If you need advice in this area contact us first for a final evaluation. We will definitely help stave off a mistake you may regret down the road!

Happy 2012 to all!

Click here to visit our website to contact us for information

After a brief discussion with the person we can sometimes determine that a total strip and refinish may not be necessary at all. Some expert touch and minor repair up is all that’s required.

If the original finish is damaged and beyond redemption, than stripping may be your last resort. In this weeks blog we’ll explore how to determine whether a total ‘strip’ is required or not.

We’ve all heard experts tell us daily, altering the finish can destroy the furnitures value. In most cases this is true.  For example, a 17th Century hand painted finish on a rare American or Continental piece can spell disaster if stripped.  People hunt and pay dearly for those ‘distressed’ finishes that were done by hand over 250 years ago.  They are rare and should never be touched, other than with a light cleaning.  And even a cleaning can be touchy unless you know what your doing.

We’ve also heard of the person ‘cleaning’ or ‘polishing’ up a piece of furniture and completely destroying the original patina and devaluing the piece many thousands of dollars in some cases.  This is true in more cases than not.

Then there are the people that decide they want to refinish a lovely old piece to make it look ‘better’.  I see wonderful tables that come in to my store, where the client has totally refinished the piece.  The original color, depth and patina has been destroyed, devaluating the piece to a fraction of what it might have fetched.

Many finishes that look absolutely horrible may be salvageable with a little oil and wax.  It’s amazing what we do with pieces that come in from France that look like deaths’ door and after a little TLC they end up looking wonderful.

I would only strip a piece of furniture if the following applies.

A. Deep dark water marks have burled there way into the wood

B. The finish has chipped off in some way over the entire surface.

C. The finish has deep cigarette burns or fire burns.

D. You want a different color.

I would suggest either contacting us first, or sending a photo and we can let you know whether a little touch up will do the trick or if a complete ‘refinish’ or ‘restoration’ is necessary.

If you notice I have used the word ‘restoration’.  We do much restoration to finishes without totally stripping a piece.  This keeps the integrity of the piece intact, and leaves the original finish which is always preferable.

If you’ve scrutinized the finish and determined it’s beyond help, you may want to strip and refinish the piece.

Another prime candidate for stripping and refinishing is a piece that was originally finished in a wood finish but has since been painted over within the last 50 years. Usually you’ll find that the paint was applied directly over the original finish, making it easier to strip because the paint pigments have not been able to penetrate the wood grain. Stripping and refinishing this kind of piece often exposes beautiful wood hidden under an opaque finish.

Keep in mind, however, that some pieces were made to be painted; stripping them usually uncovers inferior or mismatched wood pieces that will not finish well. If the paint has been applied to raw wood, it’s usually an indication that the piece was meant to have a painted finish. In such cases you may still want to strip furniture paint to repaint the piece, or you may be able to simply repaint over the old color. To find out whether the paint is directly on the wood surface or atop another finish, scrape the paint or apply solvent to it in a small, inconspicuous area. If the paint pigment remains in the wood grain, it was probably painted originally; if not, the paint is over a natural wood finish and refinishing may be in order.

You may want to consider joining one of our French painting classes held at the store and conducted by painting guru Kathy Van Gogh.  She will show you how to produce a ‘faux finish’ that will look many decades old.

Another case for stripping is if the finish is so far gone or damaged that it simply cannot be renewed. Old finishes can become brittle or flaky as a result of age and mistreatment. Finishes can also be damaged by water or fire and often can’t be restored without stripping and refinishing. Water can make some finishes lift and discolor permanently, while heat and smoke can blister or blacken finishes.

Yet another reason to strip and refinish a piece: You don’t like the finish color or shade. For example, if you’re putting a piece in a particular room or with another piece of furniture, you may want to blend or match the room’s other furniture or the area’s decor. But again, before deciding, consider the piece itself: If it’s a valuable piece blessed with an original finish, you’d be better off saving the finish and buying another piece of furniture to fill your need!   To me it’s like buying a piece of artwork to match the color combination of a room and not for the artworks sake itself.

Remember, it’s easy to strip a piece ( with a lot of elbow grease involved ) but it’s quite another to ‘refinish’ the piece.   There are so many types of finishes to choose from that it can be daunting.  But I can almost guarantee you, unless you’re a pro you may regret ever trying to refinish a piece yourself.  This is where you definitely need to consult a refinisher.  And even then, there are good and bad refinishers.  I know of one who simply sprays a lacquer finish on pieces.  So many times, more often than not, I see this done to furniture. The look is dull, flat and plastic.  I hate this finish, unless its a super high gloss clear coat on an art deco piece or something very modern.   And be careful about putting a high gloss clear coat on an antique.  The look is simply awful.  The antique looks too new, and looks like it should be in the showroom of an Ethan Allen or some other new furniture vendor.  Dont do it!!  It will devalue and ruin the piece for ever.

My advice, go ahead a strip the piece if you want, but let a professional apply the final finish unless you are truly confident you know what you’re doing.

This is also the season for candles. And lots of them. Either on your beautiful dining table to create a warm and charming ambience, or placed throughout the home infusing holiday scents into the air.  Whichever it is, candle wax can get on furniture. And removing it can damage your furniture if you’re not careful

The first thing to remember that candle wax must be left to harden before attempting any removal of any kind.  Follow these simple steps outlined below and removal will be problem free.

Tools and Materials you’ll need.

• Soft cotton rag
• #0000 steel wool
• ice cube
• credit card or plastic scraper

First we are going to investigate the ‘water stain’.  While usually all water stains are treatable, some can be much more difficult than others.  If a water stain is white, that’s a good sign.  If it’s dark, well, that’s a different story

Water and other kinds of liquid can cause ring stains in finish and wood. Shellac finishes are more susceptible to this problem than other types. Stains that are in the finish are usually white, while stains that have gone through the finish and into the wood will appear dark or black.

Dark water stains can’t be removed without refinishing, and even then, they are difficult to get out. You may be able to remove the finish, bleach the stain, and refinish the surface.

White water stains, or those still in the finish, can often be removed without stripping the finish. The longer the stain is in the finish, the deeper it will penetrate into the surface. The deeper moisture penetrates into the surface, the harder the stain is to remove, so it’s important to remove water stains as soon as possible.

Finish discoloration that’s caused by moisture is a result of moisture being trapped in or under the finish. To remove water stains, you must get rid of the trapped moisture. This can be done in one of two ways: Use a chemical called an amalgamator to soften the finish long enough for moisture to evaporate before the finish hardens, or use an abrasive to cut into the finish to the depth of the moisture, allowing moisture to escape and causing the stain to disappear.

Remove water stains using amalgamator

Amalgamator is an alcohol-based mixture sold by finish and touch-up supply stores to soften an area of the finish and cause the moisture stain to dissipate. The technique for applying the amalgamator to the finish surface is similar to that used for French polishing. If you can’t get amalgamator, try using denatured alcohol instead, but be careful not to cut too deeply into the finish.

1) Apply amalgamator to a pad
Use a soft cotton rag to make an applicator pad. Ball or roll up the rag in a comfortable size to hold in one hand (about the size of a large egg). Smooth out the part of the rag that will make contact with the finish surface. There should be no wrinkles or creases. Apply amalgamator to the pad, allowing it to soak into the rag.

2) Disperse the amalgamator
Tap the padding rag into the palm of your other hand, causing the amalgamator to spread into the rag until the surface of the rag is damp, but not wet.

3) Pad the stain
Pad over the surface of the finish on top of the stain with a pendulum-like stroke in the direction of the wood grain. Briefly touch the padding rag to the stain surface, and then lift it off, keeping the pad in motion when it’s in contact with the finish surface. The water stain may not immediately disappear, so continue to pad the area, adding more amalgamator to the rag if necessary. The trick is to keep your padding rag damp enough to soften the finish but not wet enough to cut through the finish to the wood surface.

4) Blend-in the repair area
When you finished to remove the water stains, allow the area to dry. Next, rub the finish down with #0000 steel wool to blend the sheen. Paste-wax the finish if necessary.

Remove Ring Stains Using Abrasives

You can use any of a number of fine abrasives to remove water stains from the finish, including #0000 steel wool, rottenstone, pumice, and 600-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper. Adventuresome refinishers have even used toothpaste or cigar ashes as abrasives. The depth of the stain will determine which one will work for you. Start with a mild abrasive. If that doesn’t work, go to sandpaper. However, the less cutting into the finish to remove water stains, the better.

1) Rub the stain area using steel wool 
Rub #0000 steel wool over the stained area of the finish, rubbing with the grain and using firm pressure. If the stain is shallow, this may remove water stains. If not, go to Step 2.

2) Rub the area using sandpaper
Use 600-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper and a felt block to sand the stained area if steel wool doesn’t get the stain out. A little soapy water or mineral spirits will work as a lubricant for the sandpaper. Use firm pressure and sand the area well, rubbing in the direction of the grain. If the stain doesn’t disappear, go to a coarser wet-or-dry paper (500- or 400-grit), but remember that coarser papers may dull the sheen in the repair area and can even cut through the finish to the wood, so be careful. If you use a coarser paper, follow it by sanding with 600-grit paper to try to bring back the sheen.

3) Rub the area, again using steel wool
Rub out the finish using #0000 steel wool and paste wax, if it’s needed to blend the repair area with the rest of the finish.

As a last word of advice, all these techniques require skill and a delicate touch.  While I have posted these methods, I assume no responsibility if you damage a piece.  Consult a professional and let them do the work.

At the Antique Warehouse we can fix almost anything.  If you like, send us a photo by email no larger than 100K, and we can estimate how much it will cost to have your piece looking great again.

Happy Holidays to you all.

Mark LaFleur

Spotting a fake Antique is no easy task.  We know. We spend all our lives separating the real from the fake.  We have to do it in a split second at times, particularly when we’re buying in France.

When I first got into this business I was making mistakes all the time.  Larry of course, was in it much longer than I, and was constantly pointing out the areas of ‘newness’  or ‘fakeness’ that had tricked me.

Almost nothing gets by me now.  It took years to train my eye, so don’t expect to become a ‘pro’ after reading my blog.  I will point out things to watch for,  but a trained eye will always have an edge over someone who is a novice.

This may look old, but in fact it's brand new. We're Okay with that. We bought it! But we also sold it for what it was. A good quality reproduction produced within the last 20 years. It also sold for a fraction of the price of the good antique ones.

TRUST YOUR SOURCE

This may sound odd, but the first thing I consider when looking at a piece is who or where am I getting it from.  There are people and venues I trust, and those that I don’t.

That doesn’t mean I let my guard down completely, but I can relax a little more. However, this is not always the case.

I remember trusting this one dealer.  I had bought many things from him the past and been pleased with my purchases. That is, until I bought what I thought was an old 19th Century wooden Chandelier. It looked gorgeous. I thought it was a wooden hand carved ‘Italian’ piece from the 19th Century or earlier.  It was red on gold and really stunning.

He had it hanging quite high in his warehouse and I asked if it was old. He said it was.  So I bought it quickly without any hesitation, trusting him at his word.

It wasn’t until it arrived in Vancouver that I discovered the grim reality.  It was a fake, a big fat fake.  The worst kind.  An expensive fake. I had paid a lot for this piece and I would have had to retail it for around $5000.

Not only was it new, it was plaster painted to look like wood.  And broken to boot!  Unfixable, unsellable ( except for a huge loss ) and unbearable.

Mistakes like that cost me big time.  Not only in money, but also in sourcing. It’s hard to find honest Antique dealers anywhere, but particularly in France. And now, with the economic crises it’s become much worse.  You really have to know what you’re doing.

I called the French dealer who duped me,  and had a heated exchange with the guy.  He told me I never asked if it was old.  That’s the thing I hate the most. Challenging my intelligence.  I knew what I had asked and I am not that old that my memory’s slipping that much.

This 'French' fake was spotted in a Vancouver Store ( Not ours of course ) Look at how poor the carving looks and the plastic like finish. Not a great look and this Armoire was over $5000!!!

Suffice it to say, I never bought a thing from him again.

I would have let it go if he had offered me a refund or credit, and above all not challenged my mental faculties.

But refunds in France ( except in large department stores ) are unheard of.  NOTHING is exchangeable.

So trusting the source is paramount on my list.

Larry and I did a Research trip around the world about 6 years ago.  We purchased an around the world airline ticket so stopped in many ports of call. Buenos Aires was the first stop, Thailand was the last.

We saw so many reproductions in Thailand that I seriously have no idea what a real Thai antique would look like.  We liked Buenos Aires but decided we couldn’t trust the shipper and heard horror stories of complete containers disappearing without a trace.

In Bangkok, we hired a guide took us to some antique dealers who didn’t have one piece that was old.  In fact several dealers were selling the same thing, the EXACT identical piece all claiming it was old.  Like these chairs featured in the photo.  Every dealer had this exact same chair, and upon closer examination all these chairs were NEW.

This same guide insisted on taking us to stupid things like jewelry dealers and tailors who virtually pounced on us like unsuspecting lambs.  The guide insisted that we get clothing made, and buy jewelry, because he got a kickback.  Needless to say, we cut our tour short and bolted for our Hotel.

Frankly, the poverty and child begging was so disturbing that we could hardly wait to get out of Bangkok.  My impression of Thailand, particularly Bangkok was not good to say the least. We are truly blessed to live in Canada.

OVERALL APPEARANCE OF THE PIECE

Second most important thing after trust, is the overall appearance of the piece.  If it looks too perfect there must be something wrong.  Perfection in a piece is not a good sign unless it’s very very expensive.  Something in fabulous condition is rare and you and I will pay a good penny for perfection.

Looks at how the overall appearance of this looks too perfect. It has an almost 'plastic' appearance. This Armoire was spotted in the same store as the Armoire above.

Antiques are old, and age does things to furniture.  Age warps, splits, and wears down wood, etc.  You want to see all that when you buy something.  It’s called the ‘patina’

That doesn’t mean because it’s warped it’s old.  Warping can come from new furniture not being aged properly.  I mean a warp, like on an old table that is solid plank.

Splitting usually occurs on solid woods as well.  It’s almost inevitable that a split will occur on anything that’s solid wood and over 100 years old.  In fact, you should seek out splits.  They’re a good thing, and do not harm the integrity of the piece.

GENERAL RULE
Real antiques are imperfect and the flaws are inconsistent due to natural use and human construction. Reproductions are symmetrical, smooth and the flaws are contrived rather than authentic.

Here is an example of distressed or faked aging. Wood would simply not go white like that and be so consistent. Also the carving is poor and not detailed. And the price?? Are they kidding? Incredible for a poor quality reproduction.

WOOD: Look under chairs and drawers, anywhere unexposed, to see if those parts are constructed with a different type of wood than the rest of the piece. Real antiques are usually made with more than one type of wood. In the past, carpentry materials were harder to obtain, and it didn’t make sense to use expensive wood in places where no one would see it. On the other hand, reproductions tend to be made from the same type of wood from top-to-bottom.

SIGNS OF WEAR: Genuine antiques will show signs of wear in places that would naturally sustain the most contact. For example, the bottom end of chair arms should be more worn than the upper part or underside of the arm. Scratches, stains and dents will be unevenly distributed on a piece whose flaws are the result of normal use. If the patina is too perfect, there’s a good chance it’s a reproduction.

CONSTRUCTION: The use of modern materials like fibreboard, staples and Phillips screws all indicate a reproduction.

GLUING: Older antiques have reinforced joints in addition to gluing. Look for dowels, mortise or tenon. If a piece is exclusively attached by glue, then it might be a reproduction.

ODOR: Real antiques will smell musty and sometimes mildewed. Reproductions might smell fresh with the scent of the wood still discernible

Chinese antiques are among the worst to determine authenticity.  Absolutely a nightmare in some cases.  Dealers will have a real Antique, then break it in parts, and re attached the severed parts to several new pieces to create several ‘antiques’ instead of just one.  They know where a specialist will scrape or flake a tiny piece to see if it’s old.  They do this even to sculptures. You know those lovely Chinese terracotta horses you see.  99% are not old. Decorative but not old.

I remember having a client introduced to me as a ‘Chinese Collector’ with lots of money and interest in collecting high quality antiques.  I spent tons of time with this guy, emailing him photos from Parisian dealers I knew,  touring with him, showing him my sources ( in Vancouver ).  We went to a store, Panache, who is owned by a lovely dealer Joan Bilchik who is an expert in the area.  He hummed and hawed at her pieces but said nothing.  I asked him after we had left if he liked anything she had and he said he’d think about and suggested that some things were probably fake.

I asked Joan about the authenticity of her collection and she assured me they were all authentic.  I know Joan so I know she was telling the truth.

Then this same client and I went to an auction to see some Chinese antiques. The auction house had evaluated one particular piece for $50,000.  It was a Chinese scroll painted by a Chinese artist.  The client told me it was a fake and wasn’t worth more than $200.

I immediately called the owner and alerted him to what this supposed ‘collector’ and expert client of mine had said.  He was frantic, turned the whole place upside down trying to authenticate the piece.  Turns out it was real.

I felt like a complete ‘you know what’, and immediately dropped this client. That was the end of my dealing with individual Chinese collectors.  Please don’t get me wrong. I do have some lovely Chinese clients who do buy furniture, not necessarily Chinese Antiques, but are great clients whom we have a great relationship with. It’s just that there are so many fake Chinese antiques out there that it boggles the mind.  And even the experienced dealers have a difficult time separating the real from the fake.

These are supposed Chinese 'Antiques' that you see all over Vancouver. They are NOT old, and not good quality.

We come across Antique Chinese furniture in France and if we are lucky enough to get it at a good price we buy it.  Other than that, real Chinese antiques are few, rare and very expensive.

Any dealer who claims to have ‘real’ Chinese antiques at a cheap price is lying through his teeth.  They DO NOT exist.

This photograph on the left is example of ‘Chinese Antiques’ that simply are not old.

I hope this week’s blog helps shed some light on the tricky business of fakes vs. real Antiques.

You’re best bet… leave the spotting of fakes to the pros.  They can do it with ease now so you don’t have too.  If you trust your dealer, that’s all you should concern yourself with.

Happy Hunting!

Mark LaFleur

I am writing this blog today from the fabulous city of Paris.  I have been in France for just about 10 days filling up the last of a container.  ( It’s finally done! )

This weekend is a statuatory and religious holiday for the French.  November 1 is known as ‘All Souls Day’ and this year falls on a Tuesday.  So what do the French do, they take the entire four days off!

So as doing business was out of the question, I decided to head back to Paris and spend the weekend enjoying the sights and sounds of this magnificent city.  I could be a tourist for a change!

At the same time I just happened to stumble across a couple of Brocantes or Flea Markets.  My tour of this Brocante prompted me to write this week’s blog!

The photo to the left is the Flea Market I was at today.  It was held between the Madeleine Church and the Paris Opera House.  Approximately 8 blocks long.

I did manage to buy a couple of things but the selection was limited ( in real antiques that is ) and not all that great either.

While these Street Fairs or Flea Markets can be fun, it’s buyer beware more often than not.  At this particular Flea Market the booths were flooded with cheap reproductions from Asia and the Middle East.  In fact I’ve been to two street markets in Paris since my arrival and both times, the same reproductions appeared.

I decided to test the honesty of some of these small dealers just for the fun of it.  I had no problem posing as an American tourist as most of the dealers spoke some English.  I saw everything from elaborate gold gilt Mirrors from Asia to highly polished ‘Art Deco’ from Egypt.  Most of the dealers ( not all ) were honest when I asked the key question ” Is it old?”

This photo illustrates a typical booth put together by a French Dealer.  It looks appealing and is displayed very nicely.  Priced and labelled.

This particular booth wasn’t too bad and had a lot of older pieces.

The next photo below was an entirely different story.

The desk that the dealer was sitting at is a reproduction design of an Art Deco piece.  It looked stunning and in fact would fool most anyone. In fact every piece of furniture and decorative accessory in this dealer’s booth was new!

I was interested to see just how old this desk was.

I examined the piece and immediately discovered it was fake.  How?

By pulling out and examining the drawer for starters.  No dovetail joints, plywood bottoms on the drawers, stained wood to look old.  This piece had a life span of maybe two years at best.  My examination ended there.

The minute I examined the drawer, the dealer knew I was another dealer.  Most tourists would never do that.  The dealer gave me a dirty look so I knew I didn’t even have to ask whether it was old or not.  I moved on from this booth too.

Now in this next photo I came across a real Art Deco piece.  While this ‘desk’ probably started out as a vanity, at least the piece had some age.

I asked the dealer if it was old and he assured me that it was. I asked if the hardware was original and he again assured me that it was.  So what I did is pulled out a drawer and in fact it was old.  Beautifully done dovetailed joinery along with solid wood ( not plywood ) bottoms of drawers.  And the hardware had not been replaced.  The leather top had been glued on to the top of the peice rather than being inset.   This indicated that the piece did not start out as a desk but was most likely a vanity.   The dealer had polished it up to a high gloss so the piece looked gorgeous.  His price, however, was way out of line.  I would have had to ask over $6500 for this ‘former vanity’ piece if I decided to buy it and ship it home.  So I passed on this piece too.

This dealer photographed here with his lovely young daughter,  had a small very pretty Louis Philippe Commode which interested me at first glance.  He also had a gold gilt mirror that also interested me at first.  Immediately he started talking price ( I told him I was a dealer ) and telling me what a deal I was getting.  ( The proverbial  ‘car salesman’ type )

This gregarious guy kept on side tracking me from examining each piece by inviting me to date his daughter etc. etc.  ( Also his price was coming down minute by minute )

Unfortunately the commode, while nice, did not have its original marble top ( which I pointed out and he agreed )  But I’m quite sure if I hadn’t spotted the marriage of marble to antique, he would have never volunteered the information.  And the mirror was of very poor quality, although old.

So I thanked him and told him I’d think about it while he kept dropping the price if I bought the two together.  ( They were now 40% of his original asking! ) Again I moved on.

Chinese Antiques?  I think not.

These dealers are among the worst offenders.  Most of these dealers ( particularly in Vancouver ) represent this stuff as ancient!  When I asked this French dealer whether these pieces were old she shook her head slowly and gave me a ‘get lost’  face.

I didn’t even have to examine these pieces as they’ve been flooding the market by one particular dealer in Vancouver for years now.  He still represents them as ‘Antique’.  It’s amazing to me that this guy still gets away with it.

If you like the look and are not concerned whether it’s old or not than go right ahead.  They can be decorative and inexpensive but bear in mind you get what you pay for.  Expect problems with these pieces sooner than later and when it comes to re-sell value, don’t expect anything near to what you paid.  ( Unless you trick some other non suspecting person )

Real Chinese Antiques and they look nothing like these pieces.  We’ve come across one or two pieces that we’ve sold in the store, but they are rare and very costly.  ( Anyone remember that gorgeous Rosewood Palace Gong we had about two years ago? ) It was beautifully carved, with intricate detailing, crisp and fine.

Bronzes and Art Deco Statues etc.

I see reproduction Bronzes and Art Deco statues at every Flea Market.  In fact absolutely every one that I saw at this Brocante was a reproduction.

How do I know they’re fake?  Because good Bronze will cost you many many thousands of dollars.  At a Street Fair like this, no one is going to market a real antique bronze for $15,000 minimum price.  There is also a simple test you can do that I will discuss later.

Most of these pieces are made in Asia and can look very good at first glance.  So how do you know if it’s the real thing or not.  Just scratch it with a key or another metal object.  ( Not while the dealers’ looking of course )

If the scratch is copper color it’s bronze.  If it’s grey it’s spelter.

Spelter is a pot like material that is softer and the poor cousin of bronze.  Now, many great bronze casters used Spelter all the time.  They did this because of cost.  And because it was affordable to the masses.  The asking price of a piece usually indicates whether it’s bronze or not.

I have a rather pathetic story about a client who is an avid collector of Art Deco.  This man and his wife absolutely loved all Art Deco and had thought they had bought a rare and valuable piece out at the former Cloverdale Antique Mall which closed down last year.

Now, these people had a good eye, and had collected pieces for years so when I saw this supposed ‘Bronze Lamp’ I couldn’t believe that these collectors could be fooled like this.

I explained to them that what they had was not bronze but spelter.  We did the scratch test and sure enough.  But worse, the piece was not old.  In fact it wasn’t less than 2 years old if that.

Also I pointed out the rather crude workmanship of the piece. The detailing wasn’t crisp, proportions were awkward etc.  The wiring was also new.  So many things jumped out that I was surprised that these people didn’t know.

In any event, they were extremely disappointed that their purchase wasn’t a great find.  I asked them what they paid, and in fact the price they paid was right for a cheap reproduction.  Albeit it was misrepresented, the old adage rears its ugly head yet again.  ‘You get what you pay for’

To sum it all up, Flea Markets and Street Fairs no matter what country are always fun to wander through.  But don’t expect to find ‘rare’ or ‘valuable’ pieces.  These dealers may be small time, but they do know their stuff.   Be very careful about spending your hard-earned cash.  And always ask the key question ” Is it an Antique”  or ” Is it old “ .  Go ahead and pull out drawers and examine them carefully.  The dealer will think twice about trying to pass off a fake!

I will be home next Friday and look forward to seeing you all then but until then, it’s La vie en Rose in Paris for the next few days.

A bientot,

Mark

Hi Everyone

I will be off to France tomorrow and just wanted you to know I may not be able to do much posting over the next couple of weeks.  Buying trips in France are hectic and this time I will be doing this trip alone.

I will try to send some photos from France, but no guarantees.  I’m only here for two weeks and have an enormous amount of work to do.

Have a good week.

Mark.

A bientot

Mark LaFleur

All these terms, plus many others are often referred while describing  a piece of furniture.  You’ll see the ‘experts’ on shows like the ‘Antiques Roadshow’ use these terms all the time.

Now you too can be an expert by studying the following diagrams illustrated below.

Enjoy and commit them to memory if you can.  Try throwing around some of these terms the next time you go shopping to your favourite antique store.  You’ll may be surprised at the response you’ll get.