Need Help with Dresser Details - please

[denidownunder]

Hi All,
I am new to this forum and this is my first post.
I would like to ask a question regarding a Dressing Table.
I have a Dressing Table which was in this house when I bought it and now want to sell it (the dresser)
As I have very little knowledge about Furniture,wood, etc I was hoping that someone may be able to help.
What I would love to know is - what Date/Period is this Dressing Table - what type of timber is it made of?
Also I know it needs some attention , but what could I expect to sell it for - I have no idea.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much,
Kind Regards,
Ian.

[hap97]

This seems to have been a popular basic design. I suggest it may have been prior to 1900.
The items are veneered. The first one I worked upon was painted white, and it took a bit of stripping before I realised it was venered. The final finish was black japan.
The large dressing table had a nice cedar top that was badly damaged, but this came up well with some new french polishing. The rest of the article had a restoring finish applied and then wax.
Did yours ever have castors, look underneath, it seems very flat on the floor.

[denidownunder]

Hi hap97,

Thanks for your time in answering my post.

If you have time there a a couple of things that you might be able to answer for me as I have no idea at all about timber.
What would the veneer be made of?
Also what type of timber would the arms holding the mirror and also the leg be made of?

I had a look underneath and there are signs (holes) there that makes it look like there were castors or some type of feet.

I am thinking of selling this piece in an "AS IS" condition. Any rough idea of what I could expect?
If this last question is not allowed then please disregard it.

Many thanks again for your interest.
Looking forward to hearing back from you.

Kindest Regards,
Ian.

[hap97]

If it is an Australian piece, the solid carved pieces could be Australian Red Cedar, the veneer may be difficult to assess if the varnish is covering it to well.

Seems to be in good condition, value should be a few hundred dollars, depending on if it sold to a dealer or more if you can find a buyer.

Ebay has a couple of antique dressers at the moment. Enter dressing table and go to antiques.

Regards

[rrobor]

How heavy is it, if its heavier than expected it could be Australian but my thoughts are its not. To me its european, French or Italian. I can see this in a very large hallway for the master of the house to check his grooming before going out. I think it was made between wars.

[Black Cat]

Not convinced it is a dressing table - looks more like a hall table to me. A dressing table is just that - a place where a lady can sit and gaze into the mirror while 'dressing' or ornamenting herself. That would be a bit tricky with the central leg front and centre like that. Also the single drawer at the front leans me toward hall table rather than dressing table - you might find more bidders by naming it accurately ...

[denidownunder]

Hi All,

Thanks again for your input.

Still confused about the type of wood/veneer - I'll have to work on it.

Hi Black Cat,

I take your point about the Dressing Table Tag.
However I have done a little searching on Ebay and came across these 2 very similar items.

220186760113

170261732260

They both seem to know their business so I was taking a lead on them.
Perhaps we are all wrong .

Anyway thanks for your time and interest.

All the Best,
Ian.

[hap97]

Check out item 120436479342 on eBay.
This is a hall table....

[denidownunder]

Wow - that makes it interesting !

What's the answer then, Hall table or Dressing table.?

If I take the mirror away my table looks just like the one you found on ebay - minus the marble.

Confusing.

Cheers,
Ian

[pbonser]

It's not a dresser, it's a demi-lune hall or side table.
I very much doubt it would have had castors under. More likely turned or carved "bun" feet.
Most likely mahogany timber, both the solid & veneer.

[denidownunder]

Hi,

Thanks for all the answers.

Talk about confusing !

Perhaps when I list it to sell I will just have a heap of images and people (if interested) can make up their own mind what they would use it for.

If I put Dressing /Hall /Demi-lune/ Side Table in the heading I should cover all the bases.

Mahogany/Cedar - who knows ?

Thanks again for all the interesting comments.

Ian.

[Horsecroft88]

First things first, from the photos it doesnt actually look like it is veneered and therefore unless you can see that it is from the actual piece I would have said it is likely to be all solid wood. Secondly, and as I don't have my copy of Carters antiques guide at my fingertips, I can only go on what I see. However, to my eyes the grain and colour of the wood appears more typical of cedar rather than mahagany, and therefore given the lack of availability of cedar for furniture construction post 1900, let alone the design of the feet, and corbels it appears to me to be late Victorian, which would suggest 1880s.

If the above is true it would (a) have been french polished and (b) be worth considerably more than a couple of hundred bucks. The problem being do you sell via ebay, to an auction house or possibly on consignment via a good antique shop. At a guess I would have said the value is likely to be well over $500, possibly even double that.

Lastly, I doubt that it is a hall table (albeit I am not familiar with the term Demi Lune) as these generally of the era were different in design (oblong). It may have been a dressing table, though with a piece like this you could undoubtedly use it in numerous situations. My best advice is either get it appraised by a qualified antiques valuer, or alternatively at least have a look at Carters guides. They produce one annually and you will also get a good feel from this as to its value.

Either way, IMO you were very lucky to have had this piece left behind. Good luck with it.