Page 24 - tmp

Page 24 The Antique Shoppe January, 2019
Questions &
Common Sense Answers
with Fred Taylor
I have been searching for some information
Q. that would assist me in determining an
approximate date (and hopefully an approximate
value) for a small table I purchased at an estate sale
recently. I really don’t know much about furniture,
but when I saw this at an estate sale, I knew I had
to buy it. There was a short coffee table of a similar
time period at the sale, but it was unfortunately
painted a rather ugly green color. I still debated
buying it for the $3 they were asking. I suspect I still
did well for the $40 I paid for the table I did buy.
It is approximately 27” tall and the round top is
approximately 27 3/4” in diameter. It has 2 drawers,
with lion’s head pulls, and the opposite sides are
also fitted with the pulls to balance the look. It has
a spindle leading down to an urn with vertical cuts,
then to 4 curved legs finished with brass lion’s feet.
The label appears to be stamped foil, with
adhesive or glue holding it in place. It’s starting to
pull up. What glue would be best to reattach it? I
don’t want the label to become separated from the
WALDO
WALDO’S
ANTIQUE VILLAGE
24,000 SQ. FT. OF ANTIQUES
AND COLLECTIBLES
Voted Florida’s Best Antiques Mall
352-468-3111
www.waldoantique.com
Highway 301, 9 mi S. of Starke at the Traffic Light
OPEN DAILY: Mon.-Fri. 10AM-6PM - Sat.-Sun. 9AM-6PM See North FL Map Do not use a water based glue or wood glue. It won’t stick to the foil. The
#25
Orange Park
801 Blanding Blvd.
Orange Park, FL 32065
904.272.5995
Vintage to Modern, Antiques to
Collectibles & Everything in Between
5,000 sq.ft. Multi-Dealer Mall
4 mi. south of I-295 on Blanding Blvd.
Always Buying ~ New Arrivals Daily ~ Estate Sales Coordinator 18 directly from the website, www.furnituredetective.com
table. The entire piece appears to be all original with the exception of a couple
of machine screws holding the lion’s head pulls to the table & drawers. I have
only limited info on the Fine Arts Furniture Co. other than it was in operation
from 1926-1983 in Grand Rapids. I happen to live in Grand Rapids so I think
it’s kind of cool that this beautiful table was actually made here. Anything you
could share would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your assistance. —
Dean W.
Your table falls in the category of Colonial Revival furniture. That is
A. furniture that uses elements of styles popular during our Colonial
period. (There is an excellent book on the subject by Lindquist and Warren
entitled “Colonial Revival Furniture” published
by Wallace-Homestead.) Your table is a variation
of a drum table. The drum table, developed by
Thomas Sheraton in the late 18th century, was
in turn a variation of the English rent table, a
round table with seven drawers around the skirt
into which tenants deposited rent when it was
due during the week. Your table is a combination
of a lamp table and a drum table. According
to the book “Grand Rapids Furniture - The
Story of America’s Furniture City”, written by
Christian Carron, curator of the Public Museum
of Grand Rapids, Fine Arts Furniture Co. was in
business from 1925 to 1977. It combined with
Ralph Morse Co in 1966 and Morse ceased
production in 1979. The book further states that
the Museum in Grand Rapids has a significant
collection of trade catalogs from Fine Arts so a
visit there should be able to produce a catalog
that contains your
table.
The top skirt and
drawer fronts on
your table are made
of mahogany veneer
This table above was made by Fine Arts Furniture Co. lumber core plywood,
in a process called
of Grand Rapids, is a 20th century combination of an
18th century drum table and a lamp table.
The foil label was used by Fine Arts in the 1950s. the basis of most 20th
furniture. Lumber core starts with a solid core and adds two layers of veneer
century American
on each side of the core. The process is explained more fully in my book and
the video. The pedestal and legs appear to be made of poplar or gum stained
with an aniline dye to match the mahogany. The table appears to have been
made in the 1940s or 1950s which is further backed up by the Fine Arts label
which shows the craftsman at his bench. This label was used in 1954 according
to Carron’s book. I suspect the machine screws, or some very like them, in the
hardware are original to the piece. That’s what would have been used in the
40s and 50s.
You can secure the foil label using a small amount of household glue.
numbers on the reverse of the top are simply factory numbers for style, color,
wood, shift, etc. You may be able to decipher their codes from the catalogs at
the Museum but I doubt it. Your table, which appears to be in good condition,
would sell at auction in the range of $75 -$125. Thanks for writing and thanks
for the excellent photos.
Send your comments, questions and pictures to me at PO Box 215, Crystal
River, FL 34423 or email them to me at info@furnituredetective.com
Visit Fred’s website at www.furnituredetective.com and check out the
downloadable “Common Sense Antiques” columns in .pdf format. His book
“HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE” is now available for $18.95 plus $3.00
shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215,
Crystal River, FL 34423
Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, “IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE
FURNITURE”, ($17.00 + $3.00 S&H) are also available at the same address. For
more information call (800) 387-6377 (9AM-4PM Eastern, M-F only), fax 352-
563-2916, or e-mail info@furnituredetective.com. All items are also available