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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: snowflake on September 18, 2011, 11:55:18 AM
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This is a desk and mirror that belonged to my husband's Great aunt. I don't think it is too old. But I would like to have an idea about how old it is. What kind of wood is used. I am sure it is veneer. I know I am reaching here but would love to know the manufacturer. There is nothing on it to go by. Not selling it but value would be nice.
It also has a headboard, dresser and side table with a drawer and door. Thanks for any help!
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More:
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Mirror detail. Sorry for all the pictures.
I forgot to add the back of the desk!
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the top picture looks alot like amboyna burl, but im not sure.. very nice set :)
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Looks 1920s to me. It's very beautiful! I'm no good at wood identification though and manufacturer would be very hard to figure out. :-\
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The drawer fronts are a burl wood but would be difficult to guess which one !! Can tell is a well made piece since the center drawer was book matched !! It is veneered and some parts of it look like a pine base and other secondary woods look like oak !! But that was not unusual as they sometimes used whatever they had for parts that are not seen !! Lower drawers are a bit odd with the dark and light woods but looks nice all together !! Sort of book matched but with alternating sides which makes it look balanced !! I would guess it a bit later than 20`s from cabriole legs and French provincial foot !! But its just a guess !!
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Thanks for all the information. I had never heard of burl! I just love this set. As for the dark/light wood on the front, the large dresser is like that too. The contrast isn't quite as noticeable depending on the angle you stand. There definitely is one though. There was a second bedside table but I was told someone in the family took it years ago and has since lost it in a marriage split. :'(
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I would sure keep the remaining pieces together !! Too many suites were split over the years that its hard now to find a complete one !!
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I will keep it all together. There is a neat compartment in the top large dresser drawer that I'll put up later. Trying to get some house work done today. But this site keeps drawing me in. When you are new to it, it's all you want to do! ;)
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I'd guess that your desk is of somewhat modern , but vintage , manufacture ... It clearly appears to have been spray-finished by the manufacturer (sure looks like 'overspray' in some of your pics) , which is prone to give a clue about its' age .
Considering that some decorative (& other) elements have been simply nailed &/or glued , rather than joined , I'd keep an eye on the joints & reglue any loose ones , as years go by .
Like you & mart say , it's better to not have a 'divorced' set !
The side of a posted-image drawer appears to be oak ; I'd speculate that some of the other wood in your desk might be fruitwood of some type .
My first glance at the image (too fuzzy for my eyes) of the front detail said it appears to be flame walnut ........
Need to go rest my eyes .
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Flame/burl walnut was my first thought too !!
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This certainly is a busy set! No wonder you have to rest your eyes. That is a lot of different types of wood. I did look at images of the walnut burl, it does seem to be very similar. Thanks a bunch!
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"Burl wood is taken from a tree that has a growth on the trunk of the tree, often developing into a branch. This growth causes the fibers of the wood to develop in unusual ways creating a beautiful and interesting grain." burl is basically a beautiful deformity, like a knot, and most/all trees get it. Ive used it for knife handles.
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If all your pieces are in good to Ex. condition I would say $1200. to $1500. value !! And that depends on the selling area !!
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Thank goodness for tree deformities! They make for lovely furniture.
Thanks for the value, mart! I won't be selling, but it's nice to know.
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For insurance purposes it would be a bit more,,and much would depend on your selling area as far as value !! I am going by what a similar set would sell for in my area/state !!
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All the pieces are in good shape. The tall dresser has a chip at the bottom. That's the only one with anything wrong. I even managed to find the one handle that was missing from the desk! Thank goodness they didn't paint it. Hubby's Great Aunt told me when paint got popular, she got tired of all the wood in the house so she had everything painted white at one time! Then years later, she regretted doing so and had a few things stripped and brought back to the original wood. She even painted all the oak trim, moulding and french doors white!
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That happened a lot !! I know !! When i had my shop I also did restoration and I can`t remember the number of beautiful pieces that had white paint on them !! Many had layers of several colors but last one was always white !! You know I had fun digging paint out of all those cracks without ruining the wood !! They were a pain to do !!
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I can imagine! Ugh! Ever come across that stuff they call ox blood. I think that is what it was called. I tried doing my stairs and gave up. It was all gunky and I swear three steps took almost the whole can of remover! I gave up and painted them back to black. ;)
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Never ran across that unless it was the same stuff they used to paint barns with !!
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I have to agree around 1920's to early 1940's. Burled wood....but not sure of the exact wood due to spray finish and the picture quality.
Agree with everyone elses' comments! Nice!
Enjoy!
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Thanks, so much for all your replies. I still want to get a photo of the dresser up with the little compartment in the top drawer. I'll try to get a clearer picture of the wood. There are a bunch of options on the camera but I've never bother to stray from the 'auto focus'. ;)
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Macro is GREAT for close-ups