How to tell the difference between reproductions and antiques by Martin Swinton Can you tell the difference between a real painted antique and a painted reproduction?
Good quality reproductions serve their purpose. You just want to make sure that you know what you are getting. Here are some tips to help you tell them apart. Why paint? Mass produced reproductions come from India, Indonesia and Mexico. But antique country furniture was handcrafted by rural furniture-makers as utilitarian furniture — kitchen tables, chairs and cabinets. It was painted for several reasons. An assortment of poor quality woods was often used. Plus, paint hid a multitude of sins — the knots, coarse grain of the wood and the fact that several types of wood might be used on a single piece. And, paint protected the wood. Where to paint. It simply made no sense to furniture makers to paint the insides of drawers and bottoms of tables because no one would see them. So, why waste the time and paint? You should be on the lookout for paint on hidden areas when you’re assessing a piece because you’ll often find reproductions with paint on the inside of drawers, chair bottoms etc. I
