The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-12
NEWEST IN FURNITURE
MAHOGANY REVIVED AS FAvoRITE
AND FASHIONABLE WOOD.
Things said, shown, Made and Sold in
the Shops-MultipIicntiOn Of the
Antiquary-Hfs Traits.
New York Evening Post.

ing wood. Most or the WOODWORK and near
ly all the furniture iii the big hotel are in
this beautiful dark wood. which has been
slowly but surely reasserting itself within
the last decade. One has only to walk
through the furniture shops. new and old,
of this city to be assured of this fact. In
the shops dealing in new furniture there
are whole floors of it; indeed. in the best
of them any other wood is the exception.
I'VE don't deal in cherry at all any
more said one of these dealers the other
day. "Everything's mahogany. It's all the
rage"
In the secondhand shops, where antique"
furniture forms the stock in trade, the story
is the same. And the marked increase in
their number within the last few years is
due primarily to this revival. In fact, these
secondhand shops are the most important,
and by far the most interesting, factors in
it. showing, as they do that it is an aesthet-
&c and artistic phenomenon. The rage" is
rot merely for mahogany; it is for old ma
hCgany-"genuine antique" as these dealers
say. And this demand must, of course, be
met, if not by fair means. then by foul
AS a matter of fact, it is generally the
latter, though foul is perhaps too strong
a term for what is, after all, more often
than not, a mere naive imposition, which
owes its success to the ignorance Of both
parties, the number of "Chippendales" and
'Sheratons' which these accommodating
antiquaries are able to supply being too
patiently in excess of what those famous
last-century makers could possibly have
produced to impose On any but the ignorant
Unfortunately, however, the large majority
of such purchasers would seem to belong
to this category, to Judge from the confu-
ufo, Of faIfS
Louis XIV into which they fall in their deal
ings with these middlemen between them
and the manufacturers of new ''old furni-
Jure." Often the antiquary is a manufac-
turer himself and betrays the fact naivey.
used to haVe" said ida lady sitti ri down
in what was shown her a specimen of
one of these articles at a well-knOwn an
uquarys in this city, were not like this.
The seat was very much deeper and more
comfortable"
That's a good point to know" said the
pleasant young salesman. wen make
'em deeper next time"
NEW ANTIQUES"
In justice to these men, however, it should
be said that they not as a general rule
tmpostors by preference. Corner them, or
put them on honor and they will frankly
acknowledge such facts as the above
Though the average of information in re-
gard to the articles of their trade is not
much higher among them than among their
customers, they can tell real antique from
a spurious one, and, if categorically or in
diligently questioned will usually tell the
truth. The trouble is they are not very
often called upon to do The purchasers
who come to them bent upon, let US say,
an empire sofa or a Louis Quinze screen,
but who have first to be told what these
are, must, above all things have the gen
uine antique" and naturally they get it.
On the other hand. for the genuine con-
moi h1c rn1,I hon
uine respect. He not only does not attempt
TO deceive, but he tries to profit by him in
the way of acquiring information that he
has not had time or opportunity to get. One
such connoisseur in this city, a lady we'll
known in literary circles, has been for
years a purchaser from these men for
to acquire really fine and beautiful things,
and yet lack the culture that would enable
them to be their own collectors
The amount of money spent in this way
is, Of course, very great Fancy prices are
the rule even for the pseudo-antique. Yet
there are advantages in going to the sec
ond-hand dealer. Aside from the fact that
his wares, whether spurious not, have
generally certain attraction, if not ele-
gance peculiarly their own, is the fact that
a bargain may be struck He will lower
his price, or strike an average between it
and yours that makes you feel as though
you have made a bargain even if you
haven't. This which the conventional fur
niture man will seldom do, is no doubt an
other reason why so many buyers in this
line prefer the secondhand dealer to the
new, and accounts along with the mahog-
any rage Tor the rapid increase in his
numbers.
Yet there are certain articles and certain
prices that would seem to be common to
Doth classes of dealers, q fact that points
most suspiciously to common source OF
supply: For instance, favorite medium
price for q mahogany Acknowledgment
dale or colonial-is $95, alike in the depart
ment stores and in the antiquarys. Fifty
nve dollars Will buy bureau on Fourth av-
enue or on Sixth, while $14 to SIG will buy
a Windsor or a Chippendale chair in ma
hogany
MAHOGANY 'eWINDsORS."
Windsor chair in mahogany is the
naIvest deception of all, as these chairs
were originally the common chair of New
England and New York households-the
predecessor of the present plain turned"
wooden kitchen chair-and were, like these
r2ade of common woods, painted generally
green. They We're first made in this country
In Philadelphia somewhere about 1885,
Thence their use quickly spread to New
York and New England, where they were
more often made by the town carpenter
Tran by cabinet maker One Andrew
Gauteir, Frenchman, was a well-known
dealer in these chairs in this city circa
los. Many or these original chairs are still
In existence, but they are and have been
Tor many years. from the first purchase
indeed in the hands of private owners and
collectors. It is doubtful If any of them are
on the market. In the first scene of 1.-THE
Devils Disciple" there are two very good
specimens OF these chairs to be seen, but as
70 their antiquity the writer cannot vouch
Ihere is pretty story in regard to the origin
of the first Windsor chair George iii
strolling one day about his town of Wind
Sor, was said TO have seen one such chair
IN the hut of shepherd who had made il
with his pocket knife The King who had
a fancy for the quaint and artistic, had
copy of 1t made for his own use. Hence
the fashion. But these chairs were not
made in mahogany, which, from the time
or its Introduction into Europe, about the
year 1920 was the elegant the parlor wood
primarily With it, indeed, the cabinet
maker art, as we understand it, really be-
gan. Prior to that time furniture was built
rather than made-bult into the houses it
furnished, and built TO stay; large and
splendid for a noble or prince, but clumsy
announcement and inadequate for the mass,
even of the well-to-do Oak in England
Germany and France, chestnut in Spain and
1taly, were the choice woods, which, with
the advent of mahogany. fell instantly to
second place. There is a story in connec-
ton with TINS, too, so far at least as Eng
land is concerned. One DIR. Cibbon, of Lon
don, had a brother in the West India trade
who brought him home some planks of a
noble wood which was said by the natives
OF the West india isles to possess medicinal
qualities. These the good doctor failed to
find, and the planks lay neglected in his
garden. till one fine day his wife wanted a
candle box. To save a penny doubtless tho
doctor bethought him of his brothers old
lumber, and a carpenter was sent for to con-
struct the box specimens of these boxes
may be seen at obligng antiquary's)
The result OF the doctors accidental expert
ment was so brilliantly successful that the
rest OF the lumber was turned over to a
reau OF 1t, and then a fashionable lady. the
Duchess of Buckingham il is said was