EVALUATION CHALLENGE: Age, Style, Value of this item?

A pair of carved wooden sconces, supposedly from 1820-1870(?) Do you think the style is Empire or Biedermeier or some other? What about value?

Notice the lovely eagle head details on both sides up there.

The picture has just one of them. They are identical. The candle arms are iron and their screws are "hand made" or what they call those threads.. like these: http://www.practicalmachinist.com/v...s-chase-thread-wood-screw-noted-tulle-top.jpg

Thank you.



Sorry about the terrible picture quality. My phone broke and I had to take this picture with some 2006 phone because I haven't bought a new one yet..

 

Would think the styling to be Federal if found in the US. Pics are not really sufficient to evaluate. Just off hand, I would say that those arms and candle cups are too plain for this to be terribly old.

 

Yes, indeed that is a challenge !

From the one photo , I'd venture it's a more modern reproduction sold at places like the Christmas Store with a retail value of $ 75 each.

Now, with better pics of the front and back , close ups of the screws and candle holders & the rear edges & any markings on the back , I may be so inclined as to reevaluate my findings.

 

The candle cups have probably been replaced several times, because they have burned down (made of wood). The current ones are half-burned from the inside as well, so that explains the plain style of them.

On the back, one of the sconces has a large no 1 sign in black. The other one has some swedish writing (a name I think) but that proves nothing except the fact that these are from Sweden or Finland

The white paper in the back of the second one is (or used to be... I tore most of it off) a cardboard piece from a light bulb package from the 50's that someone used to support the repair of the decorative leaves that had broken off.

More pictures for you:

 

My first impression is "vintage last week", but those other pictures tell me it's probably mid-century. The design elements are kind of a mishmosh - the flag thingies are typical American, but the roses are Tudor. A really old piece would also be much more detailed.

 

Do you mean mid 1900's?

Based on what? I would think a mid 20th century piece would used different kind of screws (the more mass-produced kind) and also in my opinion, the wood is really fragile and dry to be so new.

I really need to know the truth though.. the seller said he would take these back if the weren't old enough.

 

I was thinking 1950s. Central heating can dry wood out pretty quickly, and I'm used to more detail in Victorian pieces. It's hard to tell much from the pictures, and factory made pieces can be out to fool me one way or the other. Someone else who really knows antique furnishings might know better.

 

The wood looks like white pine....and both look like they've been bust up several times......
I could be persuaded to venture mid century too , or later , but I'm not seeing any substantial value here......& over time it'll fall further apart.

 

My suggestion would be to return them and spend your hard earned money on something you know more about , or can readily identify......

 

I am tempted to wonder what people are basing their 50's or later -evaluations on.

I paid 350€ (375$ or 250£) for them and spent 2 weeks restoring / re-finishing the parts where the gold paint / gilding had fallen off.

 

Oh, and the store owner / seller said these could be worth over a 1000€ in a different retail environment. He has been selling / restoring antiques for 20 years according to what he claimed.

Who knows..

This is all very confusing right now.

 

Not much looks old about these except the style of the writing on the back for the No. 1. They could be 19th century but the details and any signs of age have been obliterated by paint/restorations. If you did not do much to these, I am guessing that it was done long prior to you receiving them. Even if legitimately old, I would think what you paid for them to be exorbitant in this condition.

Here are quite a few gilt wood sconces that have sold at auction in the past. I think you will see that the surfaces are in a more desirable condition than what you have there. Most of these have sold for less than what you paid for yours.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/sea...e=gallery&hasimage=true&type=complete&rows=40

 

Oh...just an opinion ....after seeing the wood , the damage, the screws....the way it's made.
The design is not readily identifiable ....as a circa 1850 item should be , and any woodworker worth his salt would know that those screwy things would not hold up to any kind of use , placed in a soft wood.

Even the two different hanging wires on the back scream.....run away.....to me at least.

That & the fact that Brad.....one of our resident experts......didn't get all gushy as he would if these were some great find.

I wonder about the sellers claims....& if he'll take them back now that you've .....umm...altered them.

 

I think you were sold a pig in a poke.......in my opinion....

 

seller said these could be worth over a 1000€ in a different retail environment.

What....does he mean like Mars .....where the air is a lot thinner !

 

The prices of anything even remotely old in this country seem to be incredibly high whenever I BUY something, it's all so exclusive they say... then if I try to sell the item somewhere myself later on, it suddenly has very little value.

And again, The seller described these as "early 1800's period empire"

 

I really need to know the truth though.. the seller said he would take these back if the weren't old enough.

Stick around for the possibility of some more opinions.......

If none show up.......put the sellers feet to the fire !

 

I'm not an expert with this, but if it were older than mid-20th century, I'd think the wood on the back would be a lot darker.

 

20 years isn't very long in this business.

I would possibly print some of the replies and bring them along if you decide to return. Best of luck.