How you can identify, date and authenticate antique furniture. Comprehensive survey of the development of styles, guide to recognizing woods. English, European and New World furniture.

The international market for antique Chinese furniture is booming, and masterpieces from the Ming and Qing dynasties are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Chinese Furniture is a survey of these collectibles--from the very best hardwood pieces featured to standard softwood specimens still available on the Asian market. This antique furniture book presents an overview of carving styles, wood types, regional variations, class distinctions and restoration techniques. It includes detailed chapters on various types of wooden furniture cover chairs, stools and benches, tables and desks, beds, cabinets and bookshelves, doors and screens and household accessories. With this renewed interest in antique furniture, a forgery market has emerged. Thousands of factories in southern China are churning out brand new or refurbished furniture and passing them off as Chinese antiques. Chinese Furniture unearths these forgeries and serves as an indispensable reference guide for collectors of antique wood furniture.

This book shows all types of chairs, tables, sofas, and beds made in America from the seventeenth century to the mid-twentieth century.

Repairing and conserving surfaces, chairs, tables and chests with expert guidance to tools and techniques.

A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Crucial Home & Design Book for Beginners A Library Journal Best Book of the Year An Amazon Best Book of the Month Christophe Pourny learned the art of furniture restoration in his father’s atelier in the South of France. In this, his first book, he teaches readers everything they need to know about the provenance and history of furniture, as well as how to restore, update, and care for their furniture—from antiques to midcentury pieces, family heirlooms or funky flea-market finds. The heart of the book is an overview of Pourny’s favorite techniques—ceruse, vernis anglais,and water gilding, among many others—with full-color step-by-step photographs to ensure that readers can easily replicate each refinishing technique at home. Pourny brings these techniques to life with a chapter devoted to real-world refinishing projects, from a veneered table to an ebonized desk, a gilt frame to a painted northern European hutch. Rounding out this comprehensive guide is care and maintenance information, including how to properly clean leather, polish hardware, fix a broken leg, and replace felt pads, as well as recipes to make your own wax, shellac, varnish, stain, and more.

Judith Miller's super-sleuth guide to spotting, buying and collecting antiques, now in paperback If you are looking to discover a valuable treasure or nab a bootsale bargain then antiques and collectables expert Judith Miller shows you how to solve any collecting case. Find out how to tell a genuine antique piece from a fake. Spot signs that indicate an object has been restored. Discover makers and styles to look out for, and whether an object should be kept, or not. Includes expert advice on makers, questions to ask, tips for identifying the best examples in furniture, ceramics, glass, silver, dolls, teddy bears, textiles and more. With hundreds of photographs that reveal every detail of each piece, you'll soon know exactly what to look for. Get more at www.antiques.dk.com with over 30,000 colour photos, descriptions and price guides. "Super-easy to use, may save or make you a bob or two." 5-star rating, Web User Magazine.