Kristin asks:


Hi Walt,
 
I am attaching pictures of a piece for appraisal. I purchased this in 1986 at an antiquities dealer’s auction. 99% of his items were European, particularly English.
 
This buffet/server/sideboard (?) is approx. 54 inches long. It has a hinged backboard and what I call piecrust edging.  The carving is not applied, but done by hand.  I believe it is a dark finished walnut or oak. Walnut is always what I have thought.
 
The side doors open for storage. It is in excellent condition for an antique piece. Not sure of date of manufacturing, but hopefully you can shed some light on that.
 
The only part not original to the cabinet are the door pulls.  I have never let the hinges down on the backboard, but they are intact.
 
Please let me know if you have any questions and thank you so much for the appraisal.
 
Kristin

AW says:

Hi Kristin. What you have is a Queen Anne style revival piece. It has Dutch elements as it should and I agree, it’s most likely made of walnut.  Of course the fact that the design is carved rather than applied or pressed, adds value.

During the QA period, straight lines practically disappeared, and the influence of the Rococo furniture of Louis XV influence can be seen.

It’s an attractive piece, but the furniture market is a bit slow these days.

Circa late 1800s-early 1900s.

Retail value: $450

Wholesale: $175-$200

Quick sale: $125

Keywords: Buffet, server, Queen Anne Style,  dutch, carved walnut furniture,

Dave asks:

In 1972, I was in London and found an old book on the history of King Louis the XV1.  It is written in French, dated 1833 and has a paper binding with the pages made of rag paper.  There is a tag inside the front cover that indicates that it was part of a Vatican Book sale in Morrisburg, Ontario.  The front cover is torn, but the remainder of the book is in good condition.
 
I’ve attached photos of the book.
 
Very best regards,

AW says:  Hi Dave, what you have is a very common “lay edition” of an historical account of the life of Louis XVI. We know this by the book’s paper binding. Also  big detractions from value, are the fact that it’s an ex-library book, and it’s condition. 

It’s a neat item, and is an original 1833 publication, but not very valuable at the moment.

Retail value: $35

Wholesale $15

Quick sale: $5