Antiques and Reproductions: Can You Tell the Difference?

Can you tell the difference between an antique and a reproduction? Does it really even matter?

by Martin Swinton

There’s nothing wrong with good quality reproductions. You just want to make sure that you know that’s what you are getting. Here are some tips to help you tell them apart.

Wood. Antiques tend to not be made using one type of wood. Why? It simply didn’t make economic sense to use expensive wood such as mahogany in areas where no one would ever see it. That’s why the bottoms of drawers and joints of antiques might have lesser quality woods such as pine, maple. Reproductions tend to be made top-to-bottom from one wood and can be heavily stained to hide a poor quality wood. Check the underside, if the wood seems the same throughout the piece, it may be new.

Upholstery stuffing. Up until late early 20th century, horsehair and hay were used to stuff upholstered furniture. Synthetics such as foam were introduced around 1920s. Keep in mind that the horsehair or hay may have been replaced in an antique during an earlier reupholstering. It’s not necessarily bad, it’s just no longer in original condition.

Signs of wear. Do the signs of wear make sense? An antique chair will show increased signs of wear at the end of the arms where the hands would naturally rest more so than underneath the arm. If the wear is consistent through the piece, it’s likely a reproduction that has been distressed to appear old.

Signs of age. Look for signs of cracks caused by shrinkage. They indicate that the wood has expanded and contracted over time. This is normal for an antique.

Antique marble. To find out if the marble is original to an antique, check the back of the piece. If the cut line at the back is jagged, the marble is likely original to the piece. In the 18th century, the tools to cut marble straight were not yet available. If the marble is smoothly cut, it’s likely post 18th century.

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