Antique Blackwood Table

An antique rent table is a piece of furniture that landlords and tenants used to exchange rent. The rent money would be placed in one drawer, the table would rotate for the landlord to receive. It was considered polite and gentlemanly to pay rent this way. Shop a collection of antique rent tables from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

A rent table is a small circular or polygonal table with drawers. Rent tables frequently had drawers labeled for the days of the week, and English landlords in the 18th century often used them to collect rent. On 1stDibs, shop antique rent tables from some of the world’s top sellers.

You can identify an antique table in a number of ways. The first clue that a table is antique is the joinery. If a piece of furniture is dovetailed by hand, it only has a couple of dovetails, which are uneven. Also, antique tables are not defined by perfect symmetry. Lastly, antique tables were typically made of oak, mahogany, and walnut.

In addition to the joinery you can check the bottoms of the drawers and the backs of the cabinets. If they were made prior to 1850 then the wood will most likely be dimensioned by hand. It will be uneven to the touch. The secondary wood that receives the veneer will have been scraped smooth but drawer bottoms, backs and bottoms are often left less finished.

To determine whether a side table is an antique, closely examine its details. Older pieces will typically have telltale features like wood pegs, hand-cut dovetails with some slight imperfections and mortise-and-tenon construction. Tables that are a consistent color throughout or have machine-cut moldings or carvings are unlikely to be antiques. A certified appraiser or knowledgeable antiques dealer can be a helpful resource when dating tables. Shop a collection of antique, vintage and modern side tables on 1stDibs.

To identify your antique dining table, first check to see if there is a maker’s mark on the underside. If there are no identifying marks or stamps, a furniture appraiser can check the style and the hardwood used to identify your piece. Shop a collection of antique furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.

To tell if a kitchen table is antique, look under the table and on the legs for a maker's mark. It may be carved, branded or stamped onto the surface or appear on a paper or metal label. Using the marking, you can consult trusted online resources to learn about the maker and view catalogues of their pieces, searching for tables similar to yours. If your kitchen table was produced at least 100 years ago, it is an antique. Keep in mind that not all antique furnishings have maker's markings. In the event that you're unable to locate a mark, a certified appraiser or knowledgeable antique dealer can evaluate your piece for you. On 1stDibs, explore a diverse assortment of tables.