TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Stripped Of Some Value

ADVERTISEMENT

By JAY MOORE

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 8, 2009

Please tell me more about my prayer table. I inherited it from my grandmother years ago. I would like to know what type of wood it is made of and its value. It has been refinished.

C.K.

Kentucky

It's an American Empire-revival library table manufactured around the turn of the 20th century. It probably is made of oak solids and veneers and originally finished with mahogany stain or varnish.

American Empire furniture originally was popular from 1820 to 1850. Early pieces were made of pine secondary wood with mahogany veneer. The style enjoyed a revival in popularity from 1895 to 1910.

These are popular pieces. Yours would retail for about $125. If it had its original finish, it would sell for about $225.

What can you tell me about my desk? It has numbers stamped into the wood. Can you identify the maker? It has been painted.

B.J.

Tampa

You have a spinet desk, so named because they resembled spinet pianos or harpsichords. These American-manufactured desks were popular during the 1920s and '30s. They were popular because they took up little space.

Because this one has been painted, it has little value; perhaps around $50.

Have a question about antiques? E-mail a complete description with a clear, high-resolution digital image in .jpg format to baylife@tampatrib.com. Include a name, address and daytime phone number. Regular mail can be sent with clear photographs (not compu

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT