ORREFORS GLASS
While much of the Orrefors glass that surfaces at auctions and occasionally at flea markets is quite new, the Orrefors factory has produced high quality perfume bottles, plates, vases, etc., since 1898. This Swedish glass is heavy, sometimes etched, and is generally signed with the name Orrefors.
OYSTER PLATES
Produced by a number of manufacturers and varying greatly in quality, oyster plates were generally made to hold six oysters. These plates have indentations the size and shape of oysters. They were used extensively during the late 1880s when there was a special type of plate or receptacle for almost every food that was served.
PIRKENHAMMER
This porcelain, backstamped with the mark of two crossed hammers, was made in Bohemia during the early 1800s. The Pirkenhammer Company produced tablewares and lithopanes, usually decorated with either a scenic design or floral theme.
QUIMPER
Made in Quimper, France, in three factories, this tin-glazed pottery is hand-decorated and features flower and peasant designs. The mark usually includes the word Quimper. The earliest Quimper was known as H B Quimper and was first produced in 1685; Porquier was founded in 1772 and is marked with an AP or P; H R Quimper came along in 1778. By 1968 the three companies had merged, and in 1984 were sold to a United States firm that operates as Les Faienceries de Quimper.
ROOKWOOD POTTERY
This very desirable art pottery is easily identified by a backstamp depicting a flame with a reverse R flanked by a P. Examples without numbers were produced from 1880 until 1900. Numbered pieces were made from 1900 until 1960. Some Rookwood molds have been used recently, but the items are clearly marked as reproductions.
ROYAL COPENHAGEN
Many items, including candlesticks, vases, and bowls, have been produced by this pottery, founded in Denmark in 1772. They are best known for the blue and white plates they produce annually and for their figurines. Pieces are marked with a crown over three wavy lines.
ROYAL CROWN DERBY PORCELAIN
Founded in the late 1800s, Royal Crown Derby porcelain was the first in a group of companies that now includes Worcester, Crown Derby, and Derby porcelains. Pieces made before 1921 will not have the words Made in England in the backstamp. The cups, dishes, pitchers, vases, etc., are marked with a crown and the company name.
SILESIA
Porcelain made at the Reinhold Schlegelmilch factory in Tillowitz, Germany, from about 1915 until 1935 is marked R. S. Silesia. Silesia was made by the same family that produced R. S. Germany and R. S. Prussia.
STEVENS AND WILLIAMS GLASS
Art glass, cameo glass, and etched glass were produced in Stourbridge, England, by the Stevens and Williams Company between 1830 and 1930. Intricately decorated pieces depicting works of nature such as flowers, trees, and leaves were the most popular. Many Stevens and Williams items are marked with an 5 and a W.
Furniture
While American-made furniture is more popular in most parts of this country than furniture made elsewhere, there is always a market for the better examples of any period, regardless of their origins. Much furniture has been reproduced, so it's important before making a purchase to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible.
Insides of drawers that look suspiciously fresh or new wood on the back of furniture may mean that the piece is new or that the piece has been restored. Then again, further checking may reveal that most of the item in question is "right" (a term used to describe an item that is what it is touted to be). Old reproductions are valuable to the antiques dealer, but they should be purchased and sold for what they are.
Proceed with caution when you're buying a piece that is made in two sections, such as a bookcase or cupboard. Inspect both sections well to ascertain whether the pieces really go together or if they were "married" by someone along the way. The term "married" is used by antique dealers in referring to a piece that may be old but is comprised of sections from two different items. For instance, a dresser may be mated with a mirror from another dresser or the bottom of a sideboard may be fitted with a top that isn't the original one. There is little value in married furniture. What you have is two incomplete items.
The following is a list of the various furniture styles and some of their identifying marks. It won't give you all you need to know to be an expert, but it will give you a point from which to start—a bit of knowledge that you can build on. The table on pages 42-43 will give you an overview of styles and periods.
ADAMS
An architectural appearance featuring classical motifs painted by skilled artists identifies Adams furniture made in England from 1760 until 1793. The wood was generally mahogany and of a rectangular construction. Silk and other light, elegant fabrics were used for upholstery.
AMERICAN COUNTRY
Simple, rustic pieces made by rural cabinetmakers in the United States from 1690 until 1890, common American Country furniture included slat-back chairs, Boston rockers, trestle tables, dry sinks, wagon seats, and corner cupboards. Pine was commonly used to make American Country.
ANGLO-JAPANESE
Oriental-style furniture with bamboo-like turned legs and moldings was made in the United States from 1880 until 1910. Designs were asymmetrical and decorated with Oriental motifs. Many woods were used.
ART DECO
Chrome, glass, Bakelite, paint, lacquer, and veneer all went into producing art deco furniture with its streamlined, mechanized styling. While art nouveau lines were long and flowing, art deco lines were abrupt. Art deco was in vogue both in the United States and France from 1925 until 1945.
| Furniture Styles Period Produced and Country of Origin | ||
| Italian Renaissance | Italy | c. 1400-1700 |
| Elizabethan | England | 1558-1603 |
| French Renaissance | France | 1558-1625 |
| Early Jacobean | England | 1603-1660 |
| Louis XIII | France | 1610-1643 |
| Colonial | United States | 1625-1689 |
| Louis XIV | France | 1643-1715 |
| Late Jacobean | England | 1660-1688 |
| Painted Italian | Italy | 1680-1820 |
| William and Mary | England United States | 1689-1702 1700-1725 |
| American Country | United States | 1690-1890 |
| United States Country | United States | 1690-1890 |
| Queen Anne | England United States | 1702-1714 1725-1750 |
| Regence | France | 1715-1723 |