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From the Worthologists’ Archive: A Misidentified Victorian Sideboard

A buyer purchased a walnut Austrian wine cabinet dated to between 1870 and 1885, according to the estate sale director. The identification was wrong on all four points.
A buyer purchased a walnut Austrian wine cabinet dated to between 1870 and 1885, according to the estate sale director. The identification was wrong on all four points.

From the Worthologist Archive comes a tale of misidentification at the hands of an errant estate auctioneer.00

The subject was sold as a “walnut Austrian wine cabinet.” A hand-written note in one of the drawers stated that the piece was “made only between 1870 and 1885.” An analysis of the photos accompanying the appraisal request led the Worthologist to conclude that the subject was not a wine cabinet, was not Austrian, was not walnut, and was not made between 1870 and 1885.

That’s oh-for-four. Let’s review the evidence and discover how the Worthologist arrived at his conclusion.

To begin, we will look at the functionality of the cabinet, and determine what its likely use was.

The cabinet has stacked shelf tiers and interior cabinet storage. The primary use for cabinets such as this was storage for dinnerware and linens. In all likelihood, this cabinet is a dining room sideboard.

Why isn’t this a wine cabinet? Because wine cabinets have racks to hold the wine bottles on their sides, angled slightly toward the cork. It’s critical that corked wine bottles be stored this way, otherwise the cork will dry out and shrink causing air to get into the bottle and spoil the wine. This cabinet has no such racks.

Although wine cabinets were certainly manufactured in the late 19th century, they were not made in abundance in England. The English wine industry was in a shambles at that time, and remained so well into the 20th century. In the mid-19th century, English ships brought Phylloxera and Powdery Mildew back from America, which devastated the few English vineyards. In 1860, Parliament cut the import tax on superior foreign wines by 83 percent. Hence, English wine became non-competitive in the marketplace, causing many wineries to go bankrupt. Consequently, there wasn’t much demand for wine cabinets, so manufacturers didn’t make many.

Next, let’s examine the technology markers to see if we can date the piece.

The finish appears to be nitrocellulose lacquer, because it has telltale chipping on the drawer front. Prior to lacquer coming into general use, 19th-century finishes were primarily oil varnish, which is flexible and wears off instead of chipping off. This indicates that this cabinet has either been refinished or dates to the early 20th century.

The dovetails on the drawer are hand-cut; there is a barely visible scribe mark between the dovetails to indicate where the cabinetmaker should stop chiseling, indicating that it could have been made by hand well into the 1930s.
The dovetails on the drawer are hand-cut; there is a barely visible scribe mark between the dovetails to indicate where the cabinetmaker should stop chiseling, indicating that it could have been made by hand well into the 1930s.

The subject has a combination of hand-cut dovetails and machine-made decorative parts, so it is likely English made.

The dovetails on the drawer are hand-cut; there is a barely visible scribe mark between the dovetails to indicate where the cabinetmaker should stop chiseling. Scribe marks are not needed when joints are machine-cut. At the turn of the 20th century, English cabinetmakers unions fought against mechanized woodworking techniques and went on strike to protect their jobs. Craftsmen continued to cut dovetails by hand well into the 1930s.

The “carvings” seen in the photos are not hand-carved, but machine-routed and pressed; they are too symmetrical to be hand-carved. Machine routing and pressing in furniture manufacturing began to be used in the late 1890.

The “carvings” seen here are not hand-carved, but machine-routed and pressed; they are too symmetrical to be hand-carved. Machine routing and pressing in furniture manufacturing began to be used in the late 1890.
The “carvings” seen here are not hand-carved, but machine-routed and pressed; they are too symmetrical to be hand-carved. Machine routing and pressing in furniture manufacturing began to be used in the late 1890.

The combination of hand-fitted dovetails (common in England) and machine carved and pressed parts (which did not come into use until about 1890) and nitrocellulose finish dates this piece to the turn of the 20th century, in the opinion of the Worthologist. The note found in the drawer stating that the piece was “made only between 1870 and 1885” cannot be correct, based on the technology employed to make the cabinet. Either the note found in the drawer went with another piece, or the auctioneer was entirely off-base in his assessment.

Finally, let’s deal with the least reliable of identification techniques: styling. For starters, the surface wood appears to be mahogany, not walnut. Lacking any proof to the contrary (such as a manufacturer’s label), the styling and woods used in this cabinet are more in line with English Victorian than Austrian. Most antique Austrian furniture of this period leans to the Biedermeier style, which is significantly different from Victorian styling (although Victorian is sort of a catch-all term).

The lesson to be learned here? Caveat emptor: Buyer beware, especially at estate auctions. Estate auctioneers are under pressure to sell hundreds of lots in a short period of time, and often gloss over the points of connoisseurship for the items they are selling. Before bidding at such an auction, be satisfied that the item is what you want to buy, regardless of the auctioneer’s description.

Cabinets such as this may retail for up to $3,500 and auction for about $800 if they are in good condition. The subject cabinet was in fair condition (it needs to be refinished) and might sell for $1,200 and $500, respectively.


Wayne Jordan is a Virginia-licensed auctioneer, Certified Personal Property Appraiser and Accredited Business Broker. He has held the professional designations of Certified Estate Specialist; Accredited Auctioneer of Real Estate; Certified Auction Specialist, Residential Real Estate and Accredited Business Broker. He also has held state licenses in Real Estate and Insurance. Wayne is a regular columnist for Antique Trader Magazine, a WorthPoint Worthologist (appraiser) and the author of two books. For more info, visit Wayne Jordan Auctions or Resale Retailing with Wayne Jordan.

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