Help with dating a piece of furniture

[Green]

Hi all

My girlfriend has recently been left a very nice piece of furniture and I was wondering what the best way of dating it would be.

Going by google image searches it is definately of Jacobean style, whether or not it is a repro or not is were I am stumped.

I do know it was in a relatives house up in Ballachulish (Glencoe) for a long long time and was most probably made in the highlands.

Can anyone shed some light on it? Is there construction techniques that would help date it?

Any help appreciated.

 

[wizer]

I was wondering what the best way of dating it would be.

I always find that a meal in a nice restaurant works quite well. You could go for a drink, but these days pubs play loud music, so it's hard to have a conversation....


:lol:

 

[Tom K]

Looks like early Ikea to me the dowel and Allen screw construction gives it away :lol:

 

[Green]

Yeah thanks guys.

 

[awkwood]

I was wondering what the best way of dating it would be.

I always find that a meal in a nice restaurant works quite well. You could go for a drink, but these days pubs play loud music, so it's hard to have a conversation....


:lol:

The music could be enjoyable if the coversation is wooden

 

[mr grimsdale]

It's almost certainly repro (nearly all furniture is) but if reprod' in the early 17c you'd find only hand work, most obviously at the back or behind things where less effort would be put into finishing.
So you might find rip saw marks (like bear scratches) adze marks (ice cream scoops), narrow parallel plane marks on finer surfaces, steeply pitched dovetails, signs of repair, etc etc.
Looking hard with a strong torch helps, and photographs. You often spot things in snaps which you otherwise miss. Shine a torch across surfaces to show the bumps and hollows.
Post a snap here while you are at it.

 

[Green]

Hi Grim

Good thinking, I'll have a good look around it and then put some pics up.

At first look it appears to be all hand made :duno:

We are not interested in the value of the piece really, more the family history associated with the item.

Cheers