Hobbies And Interests
Instructions
Is It a Real Antique Chair?
Check for signs of wear on the feet. Chair feet are utilized more than any other part of the chair. All four feet of an antique chair should shows age and wear from being rubbed, bumped, and dragged across floors. In addition, chair feet may have water stains from when the surrounding floors were mopped and scrubbed. Occasionally you will find chair legs that appear too short. Sometimes the owner sawed off the most damaged parts of the chair legs and kept using the chair.
Are there signs of wear on the arms of the chair? Hands, elbows, and fingers rub, tap, and rest against antique chair arms. This continual pressure adds scratch marks and stains, and wears away the finish over time.
Check for signs of wear on the chair stretchers, the crosspieces that join the legs together. Stretchers are under continuous pressure to stabilize the chair and may crack and be repaired. In addition, depending on the construction of the chair, the sitter's feet often rest on the stretchers wearing away the finish and the wood.
Examine the joints, the places where two pieces of wood fit together. Were the joints glued together? Furniture construction techniques vary from time period to time period. However, antique furniture was joined together with glue, not with nails or screws. In addition, joints may not be exactly the same size due to the hand craftsmanship of antique chairs.
Determine if the patina, the evidence of wear on the surface, appears natural. Over time, the surface of an antique chair acquires a patina. Spills, cleaning solutions, wax, dirt, dust, and natural body oils create the patina. An antique chair will have stains and uneven coloring that show its age.