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Differences between Wholesale Antique Reproductions and Others
Wholesale antique reproductions and authentic pieces have some key differences. Antiques are often not made from a single wood. Unexposed portions of the piece, for instance the back
of an armoire or the underside of a drawer will usually be of a less expensive wood. The manner in which the pieces are attached is also of importance. Different "joins" or methods of attachment date to different periods with some furniture having visible nails while other genres employ tight mortise joints and glue.
Older pieces in which the wood was cut and planed by hand will have slight undulations or irregularities whereas machine turned pieces will be more uniform. Authentic antiques will have visible wear and aging, sometimes referred to as "patina," whereas antique reproduction furniture will have been "distressed" to give the appearance of age. To the educated eye, however, distressing appears more planned and less random than natural wear marks.
Wormholes are a good sign but be sure to check out all the other pertinent facts about a piece. It's perfectly possible for a counterfeiter to purchase old wood to make a new piece look aged. On almost any kind of copy some way can be found to give the appearance of age and use, whether the work is applied to antique chandelier reproductions or to antique reproduction desks.
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Also beware of pieces that are simply composites of several damaged antiques that have been cannibalized for parts so that the assembled whole is meant to pass for an original production. If carvings or details in one part of the piece do not match similar items in another area, this should be regarded as a "red flag." It is not at all uncommon for a piece of antique furniture to be missing its original hardware - knobs, handles, drawer pulls, and such - but it is unusual for a piece to be a hodge-podge of styles.
The exceptions to this rule are so-called sample pieces, which were produced by furniture makers as a kind of "real life" catalog. These pieces incorporated every style in which the craftsman excelled and were used to negotiate contracts for custom pieces with new clients.
If your budget will not allow you to buy the beautiful antiques with which you would like to fill your home, pieces crafted with antique reproduction hardware can have much the same appearance. If you are, ho wever, shopping for antiques, keep a sharp eye out for antique reproduction furniture posing as the real thing. Either way, you will be able to have access at some price point to the kind of furniture you enjoy and want to buy.
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