Can you date this vanity table?? Kinda urgent...

[Tinseltown]

Hey everybody.
I am very close to buying this vanity table, but can't seem to place it date/era wise.
It's marked at $315... but vanities are in now and I live in the capital so prices are up there.

The decoration on the tbale looks interesting and kind of "from the far orient"/colonial....

So, when would you say it is from and what makes you deem it so? I'd appreciate any help as I have to decide my sunday eve.

THANK YOU

 

[rue]

I'll take a shot and say that it's from the early 1800s or late 1700s. It's hard to tell because there isn't a close up.

 

[Tinseltown]

OH LORD, I'd love it if it was... someone told me though that they thought the mirror looks like a never addition.
Also wonderinf if its too simplistic for late 1700... So hard to decide.

I do however think thr drawings makes it look pre-1900s... and from what I could see, the drawing looked kind of colonial...

I am seeing it sunday an will ask - do you think its worth the $$$??

Thanks for replying.

 

[rue]

You'll be able to tell if the mirror was an addition when you see it because the wood surrounding it will match the vanity if it is original. Look for imperfections in the mirror itself (it should have some) and if it's perfect the actual mirror has been replaced. It could be a reproduction, but look at the drawers when you open them and instead of nails or glue you will see dovetails like this http://chestofbooks.com/home-improv...raining/Lesson-XXVII-Half-Blind-Dovetail.html BUT if it's as old as I think it is, the dovetails will be imperfect. Look under it and at the back of it too for nails and glue. If there are nails then they would look like they were handmade and there shouldn't be any screws unless it was repaired and even then there wouldn't be more the a couple of them. Also, try looking up vanities from the era and see if you can find anything similar.

After all that and if it doesn't have anything modern too it, I would say yes it's worth it, but try to make a deal.

I have a French vanity/wig table from the late 1700s and it's not really ornate either, so you never know.

 

[Tinseltown]

THANK YOU so much. So dovetailes = antique.

How should it look under it? And yeah, hard to see if there are any imperfections in the mirror with the pics the seller provided.
Btw seller has written that the drawers are placed within a "frame".. if that makes any sense.

Do you have any good advice on deal making? I will be honest and say i am a student and don't have loads of $$ and what she'd say to cutting 60-70 off the price.. if not maybe just 40ish...

Ohhh my god do you have a picture of YOUR vanity table? I would LOVE to see it.

 

[rue]

Oops! I misspoke about one thing... if there are screws they would be handmade looking too and they won't have a philips head (the cross looking kind).

It should be rough underneath , but the same kind of wood. There also shouldn't be any modern looking stamps anywhere on it.

All you can do is ask and explain your situation like you just did to me. I would try to get at least $75 off of it. Try walking away if they won't deal and don't act too excited.

Mine doesn't look a thing like yours, but I'll take a picture for you

 

[Tinseltown]

Thanks... Its supposed to be mahogany (do you think it is??) so it should be dark wood below as well no??

Looking forward to the pic

 

[rue]

Thanks... Its sipposed to be mahogany so it should be dark wood below as well no??

Looking forward to the pic

Not necessarily. It would be from age, but if it was untreated it would be lighter.

Here's mine. It's from 1810 actually. I found the receipt to make sure and I was off by a little, but there isn't that much difference in how it would have been made.

Dovetailed drawer:

Absolutely nothing like yours, but at least it gives you an idea of what to look for I think.

 

[rue]

Oh and to give you an idea about price.... this little thing was $450.

Good luck

 

[Tinseltown]

WOW that is a beauty. Has it been stripped of its varnish at some point?

Anyone else wanna take a stab at dating my piece?

 

[Rathdown]

Not quite a stab... more like a shot to the heart. Judging by the overall mixture of style it dates, in all likelihood, from the first quarter of the 20th century (probably 1910 to 1930-ish) when this style of furniture was enjoying a popular vogue. I suggest this period because, to my eyes at least, the legs ("Queen Anne" with pad feet) do no match up, stylistically, with the rest of the piece. Likewise the rather Edwardian mirror also suggests a later period (as does the tapestry top). What I see is a pastiche, intended to evoke the feeling of an 18th century lady's boudoir.

Does any of this matter?

No.

It appears to be a very well made piece of furniture dating from the first quarter of the last century, and judged on its own merits it looks quite nice. If you like it, buy it. Quality furniture from the period 1900-1940 will only increase in value in the years to come.

 

[rue]

WOW that is a beauty. Has it been stripped of its varnish at some point?

Not that I can tell. It's dusty right now, because I just brought it in the house from the storage area and the lighting is awful in the room at night.

 

[rue]

It appears to be a very well made piece of furniture dating from the first quarter of the last century, and judged on its own merits it looks quite nice. If you like it, buy it. Quality furniture from the period 1900-1940 will only increase in value in the years to come.

I can see what you're saying and you could be right. I did say "It could be a reproduction", but it looks older than that to me [huh]

 

[vitanola]

Not with those machine-made dovetails , I'm afraid.

 

[rue]

Not with those machine-made dovetails , I'm afraid.

I'm guessing you're talking about mine? The dovetails look uneven to me, but I suppose it could be from a later period and the dovetails machine made, so the receipt could be wrong about the date.

I'm not an expert, but my mother was an antiques dealer for years, so I know the basics.

How old do you think her vanity is?

 

[rue]

I guess I should have used this drawer as a better example:

It belongs to this piece:

But it's not a vanity, so I didn't think about it.

 

[Tinseltown]

How about this one? Can't choose

 

[scotrace]

Rathdown has it pretty much dead on. Early 20th century. I'd place it after 1900, before 1920. Nifty piece (I'd get rid of the odd mismatched mirror).
Choose the first one and leave the white one for someone else.

 

[tonyb]

Not quite a stab... more like a shot to the heart. Judging by the overall mixture of style it dates, in all likelihood, from the first quarter of the 20th century (probably 1910 to 1930-ish) when this style of furniture was enjoying a popular vogue. I suggest this period because, to my eyes at least, the legs ("Queen Anne" with pad feet) do no match up, stylistically, with the rest of the piece. Likewise the rather Edwardian mirror also suggests a later period (as does the tapestry top). What I see is a pastiche, intended to evoke the feeling of an 18th century lady's boudoir.

Does any of this matter?

No.

It appears to be a very well made piece of furniture dating from the first quarter of the last century, and judged on its own merits it looks quite nice. If you like it, buy it. Quality furniture from the period 1900-1940 will only increase in value in the years to come.

I couldn't offer an opinion as to the piece's age, but I like your perspective on this, Rathdown.

We all like to think we're getting a good deal, of course, but when all is said and done, we're dealing with furniture here, which we'll be using and looking at on a daily basis. Me, I wouldn't mind owning valuable antiques, but then I'd get anxious whenever a child or a pet or an intoxicated guest (it's the most wonderful time of the year!) got anywhere near them.

 

[Tinseltown]

Oh--- here I was hoping it was from the early 1800s.
But I am finde with it being Edwardian as well - that matches my apartment that was built in 1910 or 1915.

Is it worth the money then? And does the mirror really look that mismatched?
I will look for dovetails etc. But if the wood is all light inside the drawers and under it's prob not mahogany I am guessing.

This is soooo confusing... but must say everyone I have showed it to has been all WOW THAT IS BEAUTIFUL...

Btw I already told the seller I am very interested but prefer seeing furniture live before buying... so I hope it's not too late to heckle about the price. I might not say anything while there and tell her I'll get back to her within 24 hrs or something... and heckle over the phone...or maybe she will offer a better price as I leave.. hmmm.