Identifying genuine Victorian antique furniture can be a challenge if you have no idea what it should look like. A particular piece of antique furniture could have Victorian details, but it might have been made in recent years. So, if you are planning on going to an antique store or auction, it’s better to have first-hand knowledge, especially if there isn’t an expert you can trust.
With that being said, we are going to take a look at some ways to recognise Victorian antique furniture:
Wood Quality- Victorian furniture from the 18th century is usually made of mahogany, walnut, or oak. Nursing chairs, armchairs, occasional tables, and other smaller pieces are typically made of walnut. Dining tables, bookcases, sideboards, and other bigger pieces are often mahogany. It was a common style back then to use flame mahogany for decorative purposes. Centuries ago, carpenters were sensible enough to use valuable woods only in places where people can see them. It’s a good sign if the bottom of antique drawers or chairs have lower grade wood. If the whole piece is made of the same wood type, it could be a reproduction.
Check Dovetailing- woodworkers from the Victorian era often used dovetailing technique to hold parts together. You can usually find them in cabinets and drawers. It’s a good sign if joints look a bit irregularly shaped, because they were made by hand. If dovetailing is perfectly straight, it means that it could have been cut by precision machines, which is a dead giveaway of a recent reproduction.
Chairs- many reproduction pieces have inaccurate styling that is visible in the chairs. The Spoon Back Armchair is a common Victorian style with spoon-like back. They look more curvaceous compared to chairs from the Edwardian era. Another well-known style is Nursing chair, also with spoon-like back, but it doesn’t have arms. It was commonly used by mothers to feed or cradle their infants.
Drawers- drawers from the Victorian era have unique designs. Many are bow-fronted or curved front, while others have rounded edges and corners with a simple square front. Quality antique drawers from the Victorian era were made of mahogany, but some genuine drawers could be made of pine. It’s a good sign if these drawers have turned knobs as pulls, because metal swing handles are usually from the earlier Georgian period.
Tables- genuine Victorian tables also have unique styles. Because they are large, it is easy to check their symmetry. It’s a good sign if the table doesn’t have perfect symmetry, because it indicates that it is hand-made. Despite slight variances in dovetailing and dimensions, a quality Victorian table should feel stable and rigid. Make sure that the table is made of mahogany wood, which was popular at the time. However, some genuine pieces could be made of satinwood, although they are rather uncommon.
Contact Molly Dog Antiques
Molly Dog Antiques is a family-run business that was founded over 10 years ago and sells antique furniture and interiors at attractive prices for homes and businesses. To learn more, contact Molly Dog Antiques today.
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