Tea at Trianon: How Old Does a Piece of Furniture Need to Be for It to Be Considered Antique?

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, September 3, 2023

How Old Does a Piece of Furniture Need to Be for It to Be Considered Antique?

From Veranda:

“By definition, an antique is an item that is 100 years old or older,” says Brandon. This doesn’t matter whether it’s a book, a vase, some glassware, or even a piece of furniture—the rule of thumb remains the same. Generally, vintage items are much less old—think a minimum of 40 years old—while retro furniture isn’t actually old, but simply new furniture that’s designed in a style from the past, like a replica of a 1950's Eames chair, or a throwback velvet couch inspired by the '70s. Those retro pieces, of course, are a much less expensive way to get the old-school look for less, but note that their value will not appreciate in the way a true vintage or antique item will. Not to mention, they likely won’t be created with very high-quality materials if you buy them from a big box store, notes designer Arielle Mizrahi of Short Hills, New Jersey-based firm Arielle Mizrahi Design. (Read more.)