The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29
PRICED BITS OF FURNITURE.
ANTIQUE PIECES THAT ARE Sell
DOW REPRODUCED.
COmmode WashStands AnachronIsms 10
he sought Aner-Old American Sea
Chests Now Used as Linen Chests
Tho Ancient Iloopskirt Arm chair.

Now that nearly all standard articles
az antique furniture are reproduced 10y the
factories curious and unusual pieces ara
more than ever prized When the owner
Of rich old mahogany heirloom7 secs them
reproduced line for line not only by good
cabinet makers but also by factories that
turn out the cheapest Of stained wood
furniture, she cannot help feeling that
her treasures must seem almost common
place to all save the Instructed in such
matters.
The factories, however, turn out only
such articles as are lkelyto be really useful
in modern houses. Many other articles of
prime necessity in every well appointed
house a century ago no longer meet the
needs OF the modern householder.
Some such articles are mere anachro-
nisms in the house OF to-day, with its elab-
crate plumbing, stationary basins, steam
heat and permanent refrigerators,
What tho English call wash-hand stand
and Ame rlcan cabinet makers cali COM
mode washstand was an article Of neces-
slty century ago. but is to-day purely an
article OF taste and luxury. 50. too, are
the steps or be- mounts used with old high
post beds.
The best Of these articles that have come
down TO us have much charm and interest,
and arc sought after by those who like the
unusual in furniture.
An almost perfect example Of q commode
washstand was bought for a trifa out on
Long IslandJ5ya dealer soldat handsome
profit, and put IN order for the new pur-
clas by skilled cabinet malVr
ltsslendcr legs endng in the original long
brass claw feet the pnovator would have
been glad 10 ornament with nutlng. and
lac limited that the article would be the
better II the hinged lid were removed.
but the owner insisted that the thing should
be- pre- served intact. and it now looks cx-
Gctly "a It must have looked when the or
iemal purchaser first installed it in her
bodchambor.
A hole in the top receives the basin and
a closet beneath conccall the pitcher
When the lid Is down nothing is seen but
the slender legs upbearng neat rectangu-
lar box Of polished mahogany The town
might be searched in vain for such another.
though the cahinetmakcr who renovated
this little treasure has recently put in order
another commode washstand Of much
beauty. but # entirely different pattern
lno7f Nlilt iOIidule dressing tullF7 WIN
three drawers a swell front and -wingins
mirror much used in the early part of the
last century have been reproduced pretty
freely but are still priced by persons tn
a taste for old fashioned things Tho
originals are now hard to ind and they
b~rg much better prices than roproduc-
tons in every way as good
Most Of the old ones are OF soft wood with
ven or and must have been made at small
cost The essential thing in the reproduce
tons is that they preserve the lines and
proportions OF the antique and the repro
ductious most sought after must measure
down to an inch according to the approved
pattern.
A rare and curious chair which is seldom
reproduced and rarely found "a sound
antique. IS nearly an exact cory Of the
presidents chair at Harvard, described by
DR. Holmes in ono of his most familiar
poems Some Of these chairs We're made
u good many years ago for l. " Barlow,
and few other reproductions We're made