Featured Please help is this a repro Bureau or pre-1930's

Hi I'm thinking of buying this but from bad photos I don't know enough to be confident of it's age, any help would be appreciated......sorry about bad photos and only being 3

 

Id guess,english circa 1930s. Charming little piece,but depending on where you are,Id pay no more than $100-200.

 

Thanks it's not up for much but I didn't want to buy it and then find out it's a 50's 60's 70's repro, would you say it's veneered or solid?

 

The only thing I can find close to it's shape is this....http://www.antiquesandcollectables.com.au/ad2473/a-1920s-flame-mahogany-bureau/

 

I think it is quite lovely and great at that price

 

I'd say veneer.....& closer to 50's.....
reminds me a little.......of this kind of mfg..


I'd say $200 would be fair.....very fair...

 

50's furniture isn't made very well in the UK, if it's from the 50's I'll pass but I think it's earlier than that, I needed to be sure as these photos are all I have to go on and because it's such a strange shape there's not much to go on. I was thinking 1920's-1930's. The drawer fronts look to be made of solid flame mahogany, if that is the case then it was by a good maker who spared no expense.

 

I say it looks like a 40's design but may be made later just to look that way. And wood veneer as front drop down has grain going up and down on the outside but going the other way on the inside - other than that too hard to tell from the pics. Hardware looks newer.

 

you might be right..
or
you might be right
or
I might be right
or
somewhere in between.....

 

I'd buy it and fill it up before you could bat an eyelash....
it's got a really nice look to it...

 

It's one of those gut feelings I get when looking at a antique, sometimes I'm wrong but on the whole, 95% of the time I manage to pick the well made rare item that other bidders don't see. I will be the first to admit, (especially after reading the knowledgeable people on here's comments) I have a lot to learn and furniture isn't my best subject but I have often spotted pieces such as this COD that sat on ebay for a while before I bought it. It looks very plain and boring but it's a solid teak campaign piece unfortunately missing it's slot in legs but still a rare and sort after piece. Getting back to the bureau, the shaped middle draw reminds me of a Scottish COD's, I can see the grain runs in a different direction on the fall front but that could be the fall front was made in two half's, the outside being wider than the inside? I think the link I posted is about the same age as it's almost the same shape.

 

Pretty confident in saying this is a 30s English mahogany veneer piece.

 

I think you could be right, even if veneered it's still a well made bureau, it must have been hard to make all of those shaped curves

 

Sorry not the best photos of the COD, it's my antique storage room, dusty and the flash didn't help lol

 

Well all I can say is

Not really - they just steamed a softwood like Poplar (back then - now composite wood particles) then bent it into the position. Veneer is very thin , probably .062, and can be glued and clamped to the shape easily!

 

Do you think I should leave it then? I do enjoy owning a sideboard made in a similar way, this one

 

That is beautiful to look at But - you are getting a veneered piece - To keep for your preference OR are you going to try to sell? I know they are very hard to find in solid wood as the cost is very much. I personally don't collect anything veneer but I'ts up to what you like.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wood_veneer

 

It's another one of those things that if you like it and are going to use it, the resale value doesn't mean all that much. Brad's the expert, but I'd say probably at least the drawers/drop front are veneered. It's sure pretty enough and I like the shape.

 

Thank you all very much, I have decided not to go for it, I did think it may have been solid but I wasn't totally sure so that's why I asked. I think I'll go for a Georgian bureau that I know is solid when I can afford one. Again thank you all