Is Chinese Chippendale more expensive than plain furniture?
Usually. Every step added to the furniture-making process makes the finished product more expensive. A pagoda pediment on a mirror, tiny bells dangling on corners, carved herons, or lots of latticework make any piece old or new pricier. KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR: • Older reproductions, manufactured from the 1870s on. More recent pieces, especially those without labels, can be painted with removable paints, since we ought to think of future generations! • Early-19th-century Brighton Pavilion pieces incorporating brilliantly lacquered faux-bamboo elements, lotus-like designs, or palm tree motifs. These are usually quite costly. • Lots of detail and plenty of bells and whistles. All things being equal, armchairs will be more expensive than side chairs. • Those dazzlingly hued (chartreuse, orange, stark white) reproductions from the 1960s, which were popular in resort areas. STAY AWAY FROM: • Damaged lacquer a really difficult repair and badly chipped paint. • Clumsily executed carvings. • Missi
