Nancy Russell| Columbia Daily Tribune
One of the most important things an antique collector can learnis how to make an “educated guess.” I’m asked, “How old is it?” But even after 40 years in the antique business, I’m still trying to learn how to answer that question. Antique furniture has been my interest for longer than any other kind of antique, so I’ll share some of the basic techniques I use to determine age.
First, I look at the width and thickness of the boards that were used to build the piece. Early furniture makers used single boards that were as wide as the tree. In later times, to save money and wood, narrow, uniform boards were glued together. Inspect the piece for evidence of gapping between boards, cracking and protruding pegs.
Remember that wood shrinks in a direction opposite of the grain. The amount of shrinkage is determined by the softness of the wood and the age. Early circular tabletops will sometimes become oval or longer in the direction of the grain. They might tend to cup or warp.
Study the nails, pegs or screws that were used to hold the boards in place. Furniture predating 1790 will include “rose-head” nails identified by their irregular, rose-shaped heads. They were made individually by blacksmiths. Square-head nails were made from the late 1700s until about 1830. Most were machine-cut and finished off by a blacksmith who squared the heads. From 1830 to 1890, cabinetmakers used headless, machine-cut nails that are a tapered, rectangular shape. Modern wire, brad or penny nails were introduced around 1890.
Screws were occasionally used in early furniture, too. Thin and slightly off-center slots and off-round heads can identify blacksmith-forged examples. The threads will be slightly uneven. Nails and screws were expensive and hard to obtain, so many cabinetmakers used small wooden pins or pegs when building furniture. Newer machine-era pins will be perfectly circular and flush to the surface of the boards.
Early handmade pegs are not round and protrude slightly from the surface because of shrinkage in the wood.
Don’t forget to look on the underside of the boards for visible saw marks. The circular saw wasn’t widely used until after 1830, but if you see straight saw marks on the boards, these might have been cut with vertical motion ripsaws that were used before that time.
Finally, look at the patina, or aging, that has occurred on the wood. Ideally, your piece is in original condition, but even if it has been stripped and refinished, you might see signs of the original surface by looking inside the doors or on the edges of drawers.
Look for signs of old paint, as many country pieces were originally painted instead of varnished. If you see signs of the original finish, it should appear on all parts of the furniture. Look at the feet, top and sides to determine whether any part has been replaced.
Don’t fall in love with the “look” of a piece of furniture before determining its age, condition and value.
Try to use your eyes and brain without letting your heart get in the way. This will help you to not make an expensive mistake.
Nancy Russell is co-owner of Boone’s Lick Trail Antiques at 4038 E. Broadway in Columbia. If you have an item for “What is It?” or something about which you would like information, please send a photo and brief description to n.russell@mac.com or to Antiques, Columbia Daily Tribune, P.O. Box 798, Columbia, Mo., 65205.
