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Another Puzzler - Identify The Wood In This Dresser
Take a look at this dresser and give me your best guesses on the type of wood used in this piece. Answer will follow in the next posting.
Kimbel & Cabus Attributed Bedroom Suite
The printed Neal Auction catalog and NealAuction.com website has some additional substantiation that does not accompany the Ebay listing for the attributed Kimbel & Cabus bedroom set in their upcoming sale. I thought
How About An Alexander Roux Under Your Christmas Tree?
Not that it would fit under a tree, but go with me on this one. Drop some hints to your special other someone that you'd like a nice hunt sidebaord attributed to Alexander Roux or a few Belter chairs under the tree when
Antique Table Escapes From Jail
This Folk Art table from around 1900 is purportedly one that was made in a penitentiary in Kansas, possibly Lansing Penitentiary. Similar tables are in the Kansas State Historical Society and the Kansas Secretary of Stat
Grandview Sale Including High Museum Henkels Desk
Grand View Auction has several fine Victorian antiques in today's sale including this George Henkels desk, once exhibited in the High Museum. It is reminiscent of the desk and furniture in the Asa Packer Mansion. Other n
Gustave Herter Parlor Suite?
It's fun to see antiques put up for sale with low sale range estimates and see them hit prices 10-times what the auction house anticipated. Harlowe-Powell put a very conservative $2,500 top range price on this set which
I Thought Everyone Knew The Kenos?
I had to laugh when I saw this photo of Laura Bush with a caption stating that "Laura Bush speaks with an unidentified man". I'm surprised that they didn't say speaking with an unidentified man - and another unidentified
For The Record: J. W. Hamburger Prince Of Wales Chair
In another installment of "For The Record" on Rare Victorian where I feature the work of low profile makers of the 19th Century, I'm pleased to present what I strongly believe is a Joseph W. Hamburger Prince of Wales cha
Who Made This Chair?
There is museum evidence that helps attribute this chair to two possible makers. Stop by the forum to read about this chair, submitted by a site visitor. I have also added another feature to Rare Victorian - a quick refe
Rare Victorian Giveaway - Moorish Fretwork Issue Magazine Antiques
One of my favorite issues of the Magazine Antiques (and I have hundreds dating back as far as the 1930s) is the May 2005 issue with an article by Paul Tucker on Moorish Fretwork. As some of you may know, Paul is a regula
Daniel Pabst Free-For-All
There are seven - count 'em - seven "Pabst" pieces on Ebay right now and I wonder about how loosely the name is being bandied about for anything that resembles the style that he worked in. British architect Bruce Talbert
Global and U.S. Antique Popularity Trends
As a website owner, I use a lot of tools to assess traffic patterns on my sites, and while doing so recently, I decided that I could use one of them to roughly judge global and U.S. trends for the antiques industry. I wa
For The Record: Israel Fellows
I'd like to start a new feature on Rare Victorian, which I hope will last beyond this one post, called "For The Record". The aim is to profile some less prolific, less visible, or "lost" cabinetmakers from the Victorian
Pottier & Stymus Inlaid Ebonized Parlor Table
This parlor table is very similar to a table in the "Styles of American Furniture" book on page 67. There appears to be differences in the inlay wood choices resulting in a rosier (Rosewood) color to this table. The inci
Herter Brothers Ebonized Fall-Front Desk
Sloans & Kenyon out of Chevy Chase, MD will be putting the ebonized Herter Brothers desk to the right up for sale on November 16th. The back is stamped with the "Herter Bro's" moniker, so you can be assured that this
Lingerie Chest Signed Alexander Roux
I just noticed this signed Alexander Roux piece in today's Bob Courtney sale. It is always exciting to have a Roux piece bearing the original stencil of it's maker. The expected sale range reflects this importance ($15,0
10-Piece Belter Parlor Set at Bob Courtney November 8th
Bob Courtney Auctions has a sale coming up on on Saturday, November the 8th that will include the six brethren to the above four John Henry Belter side chairs. The complete set is being categorized as following Belter's
Centennial Benjamin Franklin Coat/Hat Rack
Many of the typical Victorian hat/coat racks that you find in antique shops these days are mass-produced, utilitarian pieces that are fairly unforgettable. This particular one features a projecting Benjamin Franklin as t
Victorian Architecture In ... Thailand
I'm currently on vacation in Phuket, Thailand but I stopped with my wife in Bangkok on the way and did a tour of the Royal Palace and clicked a few photos of Victorian-inspired architecture on the property - which I didn
William Fischer Hawaiian Kou and Koa Center Table
This koa and kou wood center table was made by William Fischer around 1869. A very similar table was ordered at the time by Governer Dominis. Dominis was an American-born statesman who became Prince Consort of the Kingdo
Mark Twain's Hawaiian Furniture - F. N. Otremba
Continuing on with the topic of Hawaiian carved furniture comes two pieces made by F. N. Otremba. Otremba was commissioned by the Hawaii Promotion Committee to carve a mantel for Mark Twain's new home, "Stormfield" in 19
Kilian Brothers Inlaid, Gilt-Incised, Ebonized Parlor Table
There's something about Kilian Brothers pieces that make them some of my favorites. Their heavy mix of ebonization, polychrome paint (in some cases), heavy use of gilt-incising and Neo-Grec styling is very appealing to m
Rosson House in Phoenix, AZ
While on business travel in Phoenix, AZ, a colleague suggested that we have dinner at the restaurant that Oprah anointed as the best pizza in America - Pizza Bianco. We waited 2 1/2 hours and we overheard that two women
Hawaiian Furniture And Cabinetmakers Of The Victorian Era
Aloha. Eh, howzit braddahs. Da kine. Wot, you neva kno Hawaii get planny Victorian furnicha over dis side of da kai? You tink we all jus set one okole on grass mats or wot? Den wop yo jaw cuz we get choke. An da best kin
Why Victorian Antique Furniture Gets A Bad Rap
Holy Moly. Now I know why people who aren't fans of Victorian antique furniture look at pieces from the period and condemn it's over-the-topness. Technically this piece is probably very late Victorian Renaissance Revival
Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival Two-Piece Parlor Set
Fotaine's has this two-piece Pottier & Stymus Egyptian Revival parlor set coming up for sale on October 18th. Of the P&S ER sets that were ever made, this is a more conservatively styled design without too much o
Stubby Finds a Home
Are there any independent film producers out there? I have a new movie title for you to produce, "Stubby Finds a Home". Probably more of a Disney flick than a Tom Cruise action flick. The new owner of the cut-down Rococo
Charles Tisch Aesthetic Inlaid Sofa
Neal Auction will be selling the above Aesthetic sofa in the remaining day of the Louisiana Purchase sale today. It is being attributed to Charles Tisch who was a cabinetmaker in New York starting in 1870, categorized hi
Neal Auction Louisiana Purchase Sale, October 11th
Note to Neal Auction: free advertising on Rare Vic for infinity if this cabinet finds it's way to my front door. Don't worry, it's a covered porch. Like they would need to bribe me since I blog about their sales anyway.
John Henry Belter Child's Chair
I would like to see one of these Belter youth chairs in person. I have a Belter slipper chair and it is diminutive; I can't imagine how tiny these chairs made for children would appear. At 27 3/4" tall, I could almost wa
Hunzinger-Palooza At Neal Auction
Neal Auction's upcoming sale will feature several pieces of George Hunzinger furniture, including the above sofa and a chair that would match it, were they to be upholstered in the same manner. I expect there to be a wid
Kimbel & Cabus Modern Gothic Armchair at Neal Auction
In my opinion, Neal Auction is being a bit conservative in their attribution on this chair. I'm always very appreciative of Neal's condition information and research that they provide with their listing and I feel they a
Pair of J & JW Meeks "Stanton Hall" Sidechairs
Although picking up a pair of Meeks Stanton Hall pattern chairs seems like it could never be a bad investment, that all depends on the price of the acquisition, and with this pair, the asking price of $4,400 is above whe
The Robinson Crusoe Sideboard
I just received my copy of the December 2008 Victorian Homes magazine (yikes, Christmas trees already) and within the "Antiques" column was this extravagant piece of Victorian furniture, the 12 foot Robinson Crusoe sideb
Yesterday's Fontaine Sale Encourages Me
I'm encouraged by some of the prices realized at the Fontaine sale yesterday. Here's a sampling of some of the healthy results: Meeks Hawkins sofa - $10,000 "Pottier & Stymus" Aesthetic Sideboard - $12,000 Meeks Rose
Rare Victorian "Special Finds" Changes
I've been offering an ancillary service here on Rare Victorian called "Special Finds". With it, I try to highlight pieces that may be lost in Ebay-land, either mis-priced, mis-identified, mis-categorized, or just plain l