While dovetail joints can be found on ancient Egyptian coffins from 3000 BC, they were not used in European and American furniture until the mid 1600s. Dovetails have flared tails like a bird on the end of the drawer’s side boards that interlock into mirroring pins on the drawer’s face board.
How do you date dovetail drawers?
You can get an idea of the date of a piece of antique furniture by looking at the dovetail joint, as if it is hand cut you know its pre 1880 and the more primitive the cut usually means an earlier piece. Below you can see examples, the first is a 17th century drawer, pre dovetail so very primitive clout nails used.
When did furniture makers stop using dovetail?
Dovetail joints. Hand-cut dovetails can date an older American piece to before 1890, although hobbyists and specialty makers still use them. “There’s no hard and fast rule, but hand dovetailing was really no longer done in factories after that date,” Masaschi says.
How can you tell if a drawer is antique?
Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.
How do you date a set of drawers?
Saw marks can help you determine dates. Straight saw marks signify antique chest of drawers from the first half of the 18th century. From the end of the century, however, circular saws were used, leaving visible circular saw marks on the inside of carcases. Don’t completely be put off by restoration.
How can you tell how old vintage furniture is?
To determine the age of your antique furniture, note the materials that were used in its manufacturing. Expert antique collectors generally check the type of wood and metal that was applied to a piece in determining the era where it came from. Furniture that is made from oak was usually manufactured before the 1700s.
How can you tell how old your furniture is?
Search for any labels, stamps or manufacturing tags underneath or on the back of furniture, or in the drawers. These marks will be able to tell you who made the furniture, where it was manufactured and often the year that it was made.
Are dovetail drawers worth it?
Strength. In addition to their durability, dovetail drawers are also incredibly strong. The interlocking pins and tails create a sturdy structure that resists twisting and warping over time. This means that your drawers will continue to work smoothly for years to come, without any binding or sticking.
Why are dovetail drawers better?
But why such high praise? The dovetail joint that hold the sides of the drawer together consists of interlocking “tails” on one side and “pins” on the other, cut at precise angles that fit tightly together. This creates high tensile strength, which means the joint is extremely resistant to being pulled apart.
How can you tell if furniture is from the 1800s?
But, it is important to determine which type of wood is most prevalent in your antique to help determine the age. Oak is highly popular in furniture that dates from 1700 to earlier years. Walnut and mahogany were prevalent between the years 1700 to 1800, and maple and cherry were common from 1800–1900.
How can you tell if furniture was Victorian?
Decorative Details: Spiral legs, also known as spiral-twist or barley-twist legs, were used in many Victorian furniture pieces. Turnip feet, Chairs made at this time features balloon backs, deep seats, and low arms to accommodate the voluminous dresses that ladies wore.
What are the signs of Victorian furniture?
Victorian furniture is characterized by ornate carvings, dark woods, and heavy luxurious fabrics. Victorian furniture is traditionally made from mahogany, rosewood, or walnut, sometimes painted or gilded. Intricate carvings of natural images such as flowers, leaves, curling vines, ribbons, and bows adorned the pieces.
How do I identify my Victorian chest of drawers?
Victorian-era chests of drawers had bow or plain square fronts with rounded edges and corners. The less ornate pieces frequently featured flame mahogany veneer finishing, although having pine veneers. Block or turn bun feet were the two styles of feet used on Victorian chests of drawers.
How do you date a chest of drawers UK?
The style of foot or base on a chest of drawers is also a good indication of the period. Whilst bun feet were common through the late 17th century, they were then replaced by bracket feet in the Georgian period and by enclosed plinths in Victorian times.
How do I identify my Georgian chest of drawers?
Bow-fronted drawers are distinguished by their outward facing curved front. Many of the pieces from the Georgian era had graduated drawers with splayed feet, brass hardware, and a pull-out shelf (also known as a brush slide).
How to date furniture by drawer pulls?
Look at the texture of the pull, the material it’s made of, and the style. Late 17th century – During the late 17th century, known as the William and Mary period, drawer pulls were often “drop” pulls with a single knob that hung from a flat brass plate.
What is the identify of a dovetail joint?
Dovetail joints, one of the strongest joints in carpentry, are woodworking seams that connect two pieces of wood by fitting them in with one another, similar to connecting two puzzle pieces. The end of one piece of wood is complementary to the other, creating an interlocking corner.
How can you tell if furniture was Victorian?
Decorative Details: Spiral legs, also known as spiral-twist or barley-twist legs, were used in many Victorian furniture pieces. Turnip feet, Chairs made at this time features balloon backs, deep seats, and low arms to accommodate the voluminous dresses that ladies wore.
When did dovetail joints start?
While dovetail joints can be found on ancient Egyptian coffins from 3000 BC, they were not used in European and American furniture until the mid 1600s.
Is there a free app to identify antique items?
Antique Identification Apps Hallmarks – The app Hallmarks – Identify Antiques is a good option for identifying random hallmarks on silver and other pieces. The hallmarks are alphabetical. Although the initial app is free, you’ll need to pay to unlock all the hallmarks.
Is there an app for vintage furniture?
1stDibs puts the world’s most beautiful things within reach. Shop highly coveted sellers and makers in vintage, antique and contemporary furniture, home décor, art, fine jewelry, watches and fashion.
Can you tell how old a piece of wood is?
Radiocarbon Dating Because wood can be dated directly and by radiocarbon, scientists used bristlecone pines to calculate a new calibration curve, and convert radiocarbon results into accurate calendar dates.
What is a maker’s mark on furniture?
The equivalent of a signature on an antique painting, a maker’s mark on a piece of furniture helps to identify one or more features of the piece. These include the designer or manufacturer, the country of origin, the date, and possibly the number of pieces manufactured in that style or range.
What are the weaknesses of dovetail?
The disadvantages of dovetail joints are that they can be fairly difficult to mark out and cut, and if they are made badly these joints lose the advantages listed above. Depending on the project, function, and design, there are a number of different types of dovetail joints to choose from.
What do dovetail drawers look like?
Dovetails are typically made of strong woods such as plywood, maple, oak, or aspen. It’s easy to recognize dovetail drawers by looking at the outside corners of the drawer where it connects at a 90-degree angle. The connecting point should look like puzzle pieces joined together at the edges.
What is the most popular dovetail?
Single-lap Dovetail The single-lap (known to many folks as a half-blind dovetail) is the best known of the dovetails since it’s used to join the front to the sides of a drawer.
