Identification of art pieces, antique figurines, antique furniture, reproductions, antiques and collectibles

Collectors of fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions take their collections seriously and enjoy seeking out new additions. There are usually a few hurdles along the way including forgeries, reprints and other scams.

If you are planning on becoming a collector of antiques, it is useful to remember the following points:

• Knowledge is power: the more you read about and research the items you are interested in the better you are equipped to deal with the seller.
• Do not assume that if something is expensive it is genuine.
• Get second opinions and expert advice on fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware and antique furniture reproductions.
• Start small by buying inexpensive items, this gives you a feel for copies and reproductions before you start paying more for fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions.
• Acquaint yourself with a few antique sellers and get to know them. They will be happy to share their knowledge about genuine antiques and their authenticity guarantee and return policy of fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions.
• Go online for sellers with good reputations and plenty of information on fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions.
• Pay attention to the color, physical nature, style, visible stamps and provenance of fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions.

Black light is a useful tool in judging the identity and age of fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions. Black light is a form of ultraviolet light invisible to human eyes. UV light is useful because

• Glass of different types and ages fluoresces differently in black light
• Black light creates different colors of fluorescence which can be used in identification of the age of fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions.

Identifying modern reprints and forgeries of antique documents and other paper ephemera with black light

Black light can identify many fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions and other paper items that contain optical brighteners. In a dark room and under black light, optical brighteners will usually fluoresce a very bright light blue or bright white.

Starting in the late 1940s, manufacturers of many products began adding optical brighteners and other new chemicals to their products. Optical brighteners are invisible dyes that fluoresce brightly under ultraviolet light. They were used to make products appear brighter in normal daylight.

Optical brighteners were added to

• Laundry detergent and clothes to help remove stains and to toys to make them more colorful.
• Almost all white papers stocks.

Historical documents

White paper is treated with fluorescent compounds to help it appear brighter and whiter. Sometimes forgery of historical documents can be detected by placing them under a black light to detect the presence of brighteners which were added to paper after 1950. Older paper does not contain these brighteners.

Black light is helpful in identifying many types of restoration and alterations to fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproduction

• Fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions altered by the addition of paper, glue, paint, varnish and/or other material that fluoresces differently and can therefore be identified as having been altered, repaired or forged.
• To identify alterations to fine art prints, antique figurines, antique furniture, rugs, chinaware, and antique furniture reproductions one should also look for differences in texture, gloss, and opacity. When an art print is held at an angle nearing 180 degrees to a light, the added paint, ink or paper will often have a different texture and gloss from the rest of the card surface. The added material may also be physically raised from the rest of the surface which can be felt with the finger tip.

OldPlank.com offers incredible collection of Antique French Furniture, Vintage French Furniture, Country French Furniture Reproductions, Antiques and Collectibles imported from France and England. Antiques on Old Plank Road, 331 East Ogden Avenue, Westmont, IL 60559.

Antique Secretary Desks /writing desks have their origin in the 17th century as small traveling desks. After that they started appearing in various sizes and styles. In 1750, British furniture designer Thomas Chippendale designed some remarkable secretary desks that reflected the influence of the Gothic style. Victorian antique writing desks are very popular and among the most sought-after of antique writing desks especially if signed by the maker. Antique writing desks and antique secretary desks are a popular choice among writers for the convenience they afford and the visual appeal. Roll top desks were popular in the 19th century due to the privacy they afforded and the fact that the top could be locked

Attributes of Antique Secretary Desks and Antique Writing Desks

• Drawers, bookshelves and small writing surfaces, a boon for a room with limited floor space
• Flip down writing surface affords privacy
• Multi-purpose, space-saving, and fashionable addition to your home
• Great for a small office, guest bedroom, or as an accent piece in an entranceway or front hall
• Constructed by craftsmen with high quality material

Uses of Antique Secretary and Antique Writing Desks:

• Smaller antique writing desks are good accent pieces
• Larger antique writing desks with cubbyholes are useful for organizing mail and documents
• Antique secretary and antique writing desks with compartments and doors function as hutches and buffets
• Some antique writing desks are small enough for writers who prefer to lounge while writing
• Casters on the ends of the legs of antique writing desks allow easy moving

Choose an Antique Secretary Desk or Antique Writing Desk based on the following:

• Decor of the home: Make sure the finish or stain of the writing desk blends with the other furniture already in the room
• Available space: Though antique secretary desks have a small footprint they sometimes have tall upper-half bookcases
• The presence of genuine veneers and inlays: Antique secretary desks are characterized by hand-carved ornamentation, mother-of-pearl inlays, veneers, and hand-blown wavy glass doors
• Origin: Knowing the provenance of antique secretary desks enhances the value
• Preferred style: Many styles of writing desks are available - traditional Jacobean, William and Mary, Queen Anne, Chippendale, Henri II, Louis XV, Louis XVI
• Budget: Quality reproduction pieces are available which are usually less expensive than authentic antique secretary desks and antique writing desks

Visit www.oldplank.com to see a variety of desks including a reproduction English style burled elm secretary desks with two glazed astragal doors and four drawers.

• Utility: Antique secretary desks with crisp straight lines are good as children’s study hutches
• Use: A large antique secretary desk for an office, a smaller antique secretary desk for writing letters or notes
• Value: An antique secretary desk dating from the fifteenth to the eighteenth century is usually a good investment
• Work-surface mechanism: Antique secretary desks offer hidden writing surfaces that flip open or slide out on supports
• Stability: It is an important safety consideration because sometimes secretary desks can be top-heavy in which case they can be anchored to the wall

Visit www.oldplank.com to buy Antique Secretary Desks, Vintage Secretary Desks, Antique Writing Desks, Vintage Writing Desks, Antique Writing Tables, and Vintage Writing Tables imported from France & England.

The appearance of a dining room can be greatly enhanced by the right choice of dining table and chairs particularly antique accent furniture. You can choose from antique hutches, antique consoles, antique buffets, antique dressers, antique corner cabinets, antique storage cabinets, antique sideboards, antique pediments, antique vaisseliers, antique meubles, antique armoires, antique placards or antique cabinets. Whatever you choose, the intention is to add style and convenience to your home and in this case, the dining area. While a large and elaborate dining room hutch adds grace to the large, formal room, a smaller hutch would work in a smaller dining area and give the dining experience a more relaxed and informal ambiance.

Vintage French Petite Buffet

Serpentine Louis XV Server

A hutch is an indispensible item for a dining room. In addition to a hutch, a server, corner cabinets, a set of cabinets or cupboards or a sideboard are also items of furniture traditionally used in the dining room. Other useful items include a set of cabinets or cupboards with one or more drawers and flat display surface to hold food, serving dishes, and decorative lamps, these surfaces usually stand as tall as three feet. The earliest versions of the sideboard/buffet appeared in the 18th century and never stopped gaining in popularity. These were made in many decorative styles and were frequently ornamented with sleek veneers and inlays.

Exquisite One of a Kind Eglomise Console

In modern houses, sideboards have been placed in living rooms, children’s rooms as a study table with a folding work board and guest rooms. An antique English, French, Belgian or Scottish sideboard, hutch, server or corner cabinet is a fashionable accessory. Finely styled antique hutches, antique buffets, antique dressers, antique corner cabinets, antique storage cabinets, antique sideboards, antique pediments, antique vaisseliers, antique meubles, antique armoires, antique placards or simply antique cabinets from the late 18th or early 19th centuries are the most sought after. They are usually made from oak, white oak, beech, Irish pine, walnut, cherry, mahogany or reclaimed wood and can be topped with marble and have mirrors.

Antique Napoleon III MOP Marquetry Buffet

Bookcase with Antique Pediment

A Dining Room Hutch:

• Showcases your crockery, cutlery sets, crystal, glasses and goblets
• Displays your fine chinaware, tableware, silverware
• Protects your china and sliver from dust, dirt, breakage and damage
• Provides storage for dining room linens in the built-in cabinets and drawers
• Offers a useful buffet counter top for the salads, cakes, pastries, drinks, plates, cutlery or glasses
• Complements your dining table and chairs

Antique Walnut Hutch

Antique Walnut Hutch

Select your antique hutch for its visual appeal, the right size for your dining area, its practical application and of course your budget. Click www.oldplank.com for help in choosing the right piece for your dining room from the selection of antique hutches, antique buffets, antique dressers, antique corner cabinets, antique storage cabinets, antique sideboards, antique pediments, antique vaisseliers, antique meubles, antique armoires, antique consoles, antique placards or antique cabinets. You will find just right piece for your dining area and your taste.