AboutFred Taylor Expertise I will attempt to answer questions about American antique furniture, including construction details, style, period, manufacturers, care, repair and storage. I do not have any background in appliances, musical instruments, sewing machines, lighting and clocks and will not respond to quesions about those items.
Experience I ran an antique furniture restoration business for twenty years. I am a nationally syndicated columnist on the subject of antique furniture for such publications as Antique Week and New England Antiques Journal. I have produced one video on the subject of furniture identification and my book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available.I have also published articles in Antique Trader, Chicago Art Deco Society, Northeast Magazine, Victorian Decorating and Lifestyles, Professional Refinishing, Antiques and Art Around Florida and Antique Shoppe. You can visit my website at www.furnituredetective.com
Education/Credentials BSBA Finance, University of Florida, MBA Finance, University of Florida
Expert: Fred Taylor Date: 5/3/2008 Subject: Trying to find some answers about my chest of drawers
Question My wife and I was given this chest of drawers and I have been trying to find some information about it, wether it is an antique or not and who made it.
Thank you very much for any help you can give me.
Answer Myron - Thanks for the photos you sent to my email address, info@furnituredetective.com. That makes answering a lot more accurate.
Your chest is decorated in the chinoiserie style of Oriental painting. It was developed in Europe in the late 17th century as a "faux" type of Oriental art. It was popular in the American Colonies of the mid 18th century. It more or less died out in America after that until the Depression era when it was revived, employing out of work artists.
Your chest is not an antique. It is from the 1930s. It is factory made and without a maker's label there is no way to tell who made it. Only a few exceptionally well done chinoiserie pieces from this period have much collector's value. Your chest would sell at auction for around $100.
Thanks for writing.
Fred Taylor
www.furnituredetective.com
