The Washington herald., 1910-10-23

buH OK
The appraisers warehouse at Washing
ton and Christopher streets. In New York
City, is filed Just now with so-ealled an
tique furniture brought 20 this country
by returning tourists and imported by the
dealers along Upper Fifth avenue. Under
the new tariff the matter of admitting
old furniture free OF duty has come to
have much greater significance than IL
did formerly II furniture Is found 10
possess artistic value and be more than
hundred years old, IL is entitled 10 free
admission, says the New York Sun.
The importance OF this provision 10
dealers In antiques both here and abroad
Is that admission free OF duty constitutes
guarantee OF genuineness which is CT
great value to the owner.
Deputy Appraiser Wanmaker said yes
terday that he did not believe one-fifth
of the furniture brought TO this country
as antique and entitled 10 enter free OF
duty on account OF It's age was to be adj
mitted legally under that claim.
Positive Proof Demanded.
I'VE demand the most positive proof of
it's genuineness. he said. and even then
are not satisfied with the declarations of
the owners. but have our own experts TO
pass on every object that comes IN. Only
those objects which are genuine beyond
all doubt are admitted under the terms OF
the new law"
often II happens that n woman pur-
chaser goes into one of the old furniture
shops on the avenue and asks II there
happens 10 be a set Of chairs OF Chinese
Chippendale, for instance. The polite
salesman is distressed that there is moth
ing Of the kind on hand But If the Gus
toner Is not in a hurry there Will soon
be something in the store that VIII suit
her.
We have just now in the custom
house" the polite clerk viii say, "a won
derful set OF Chinese Chippendale chairs
that formerly belonged TO old Lord No
rocks, whose furniture has just been sold
at private sale. One OF tho buyers was
fortunate enough 10 get hold OF the ia
nous Chippendale chairs and they are
now IN the CustOm-hOuse."
Il IS not in the least improbable that
there are some chairs IN the custom
house, although most polite young clerks
of this kind would not consider them
selves bound 10 stick so closely to the
facts. In many cases the clerk might
know where there was such a set of
chairs. send for It on commission, and sell
il TO the customer or no might even
know where there was a good reproduc-
ton Of such a set and sell them as the
original property OF the late Lord No
rocks Such things have been known TO
happen in many shops. and the mention
Of the custom-house IN such transactions
has come 10 mean TO the initiated that
the shopkeeper Is sparring FOR wind.
Avenue Dealer Talks.
Whatever the dealer may be up TO-"
said the manager Of one Of the establish
ments on Fifth avenue which has been
strictly honest in its dealings with its
customers IN such matters. there is now
one positive means Of protection against
imposition II there is such furniture in
the appraisers warehouse and II has been
admitted free Of charge. it is genuine.
That Is the result Of the present law and
its administration by Appraiser Thomas.
whose judgment in such matters Is ac-
cepted willingly by all who are really
anxious for an honest opinion. He is such
a we'll qualified expert in the matter OF
old furniture that It would have no better
Endorsement OF its genuineness than adj
mission free Of duty by him"
Antique furniture OF the commercial
kind Is like many human beings who are
rarely entirely good or entirely bad. Old
furniture. as il is called. is rarely alto
gether fake or altogether genuine. Most
pieces are composed Of some old parts
and some new ones TO supplement what
has been lost or destroyed This natural
~ has raised another question for the ex-
perts; If part Of a piece is old and the
rest of It new. shall ii be passed or shall
the whole thingsbe rejected?
Much 10 the disgust Of the importers
for selling il, antique furniture TO be adj
mitted free must be altogether old and
cannot be a combination Of new and old
wood. Of course, there are few manu-
so unskilled as 10 put In new wood with
out having impaired &c II by the varied
means known to thei- craft an appear
ance of old age This is done in a variety
OF ways. of which the most usual are
exposure to the elements TO give the color
of antique wood, shooting with birdshot
in order to give the impression of worm
holes, and number Of similar devices.
But tho expert can defect the, difference
in the age Of the real and the spurious
wood
Little Really Old.
In view OF the fact that very few
pieces OF old furniture which had pre-
viously had some claims to genuineness
are made altogether Of the original pieces.
this new decision has proved distressing
10 the dealers in old pieces. There are
few cases in which genuine old wood
or pieces of furniture are employed in
making these restoratons, and, OF course, |
there is no reason why that should be
accounted more than 100 years old and
work of art merely because it serves TO
hold together parts of what was original
~ quite another piece of furniture.
Such a law is bound to create almost |
a revolution in the business OF antique |
furniture" one Of the dealers told the !
reporter a day CT two ago, unless buy !
ers become satisfied with what they get |
and do not insist on absolute authenticity |
The museum pieces or very fine speci- !
mems OF antique furniture will most likely |
suffer by its provisions, as in paying the |
high prices demanded for these pieces |
want absolute genuineness. In |
the case Of less expensive pieces buyers |
may be satisfied to take the furniture as
ii is and not require that 1t be OF UNI |