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How do I identify an antique chest of drawers?

1 Answer
How do I identify an antique chest of drawers?
To identify an antique chest of drawers, look inside and beneath drawers and on the back and bottom for any type of maker's marking. Researching these marks using trusted online resources may allow you to determine who produced your chest and roughly date your piece. If your chest is at least 100 years old, it is an antique. Should you be unable to locate the maker's marks, look at the hardware. Rose head nails, one-piece cast brass pommels on the drawer handles and circular rather than hexagonal bolts may all indicate that a piece is an antique. Keep in mind that hardware may have been replaced at some point and that there are many reproductions of antique furnishings. As a result, you may wish to have a certified appraiser or experienced antique dealer complete the identification process if you're unable to identify your chest via the maker's markings. Find a range of antique chests of drawers on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertNovember 4, 2024
Shop for Commodes and Chests of Drawers on 1stDibs
Swedish Designer, Chest of Drawers, Oak, Birch, Sweden, 1930s
Located in High Point, NC
A birch and oak chest of drawers with wooden inlays designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1930s. Minor scuffing to feet. Minor tabletop surface cracking from normal wear. Minimal ev...
Category

Vintage 1930s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Birch, Oak

French 19th Century Louis Philippe Burl Walnut Tall Chest
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
A gorgeous 19th century French walnut chest of drawers–eight drawers to be exact-designed as a classic Louis Philippe commode with spellbinding patterns in the matched wood grain. Th...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis Philippe Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Walnut

Italian Diminutive Walnut Hardwood Three-Drawer Bombe Side Chest
Located in Germantown, MD
Italian Diminutive Walnut Hardwood Three-Drawer Bombe Side Chest. All Drawers operationg smoothly. Wood back. Dimensions: 18" in width, 10.5" in depth and 19 inches in height.
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Other Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Walnut

Late 20th-C. British Colonial Style Tall Chest By Ralph Lauren For Henredon
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a handsome chest designed by Ralph Lauren for Henredon as part of their Safari Collection. It has dovetail construction and is marked. It also has wooden knobs.
Category

Late 20th Century American British Colonial Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Mahogany

Japanese Antique Drawer Chest 1860s-1920s / Tansu Sideboard Wabi Sabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an antique Japanese drawer chest, crafted in the Meiji to Taishō period (1860s–1920s). It carries a quiet presence shaped by many decades of use. The piece is made from tradi...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Iron

Japanese Antique Black Tansu 1860s-1900s / Sideboard Drawer Storage Wabisabi
Located in Chōsei District Nagara, JP
This is an old black chest of drawers made in Japan during the Meiji period (1860s–1900s), a time when craftsmanship and material refinement reached an extraordinary level. Expertly ...
Category

Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Commodes and Chests of Drawers

Materials

Iron

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