CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. – The second most frequently asked question in the antique furniture trade, after “What’s it worth?” has to be “Won’t I destroy the value by refinishing it?”

The answer to that is an unequivocal “maybe, maybe not.” This might be at odds with what you have probably heard from many of the self-styled experts found lurking on Internet bulletin boards and on local radio call-in shows whose mantra sometime appears to be “Don’t touch that original finish!” Even some of the nationally recognized genuine experts on the subject occasionally answer in the affirmative, but the answer to the second question depends a great deal on the answer to the first question. And the answer to the first question requires accurate identification and attribution of the piece at hand. You have to know what the piece is before you can answer either of the dollar sign questions.

If you are in doubt about the pedigree of a piece, ask someone who knows. Don’t ask your brother-in-law, who knows everything. Ask someone who really knows – someone who is in the trade or who has the credentials to make an accurate assessment. In some cases it may even be worth your while to get it professionally appraised. But however you do it, make sure you know what it is before making any further decisions. Once you are comfortable with the result, proceed with your debate about the finish.

The difference in value between a $2.5 million 18th century mahogany game table in pristine original condition and the identical table that was refinished 20 years ago is more than many of us will see in a lifetime. But the difference in value between a set of late Victorian chairs in original black crackle shellac with rotting upholstery and the same set that has been professionally refinished, repaired and upholstered could be far enough in the other direction to warrant your attention. An even easier case is the Depression-era dining set acquired at auction for $300 that has a scratched top, a broken pedestal and mismatched chairs. Anything done to it will improve its value.

So what makes an original finish so desirable and valuable? That largely depends on the original finish, what it is and when it was applied.

It has only been in the last few thousand years that we have applied some sort of dressing to our wooden artifacts. Before then wood just rotted away in its own timing. But wood lasts longer with some sort of protection from its mortal enemy – moisture. Preserving the wood was the primary motivation for applying oil or fat or grease to wood in the first place. An improved, pleasing appearance was a secondary, unintended consequence that later became an important part of the finishing matrix. When people began to live inside fixed structures rather than outside in tents, appearance of the wood achieved higher status. Grain patterns were enhanced and colors deepened and became richer as finishing techniques improved from smeared fat to multiple coats of rubbed linseed oil or wax.

Surface coatings such as varnish, shellac and lacquer are all ancient developments but are relatively recent additions to furniture finishing. Varnish, made of cedar oil and amber, which produced a resin, was used by ancient Egyptians in the mummification process. The Romans used a type of varnish made of natural resin dissolved in vegetable oil but the art appears to have been lost by medieval craftsmen, resurfacing only in the 19th century with the advent of the petroleum industry. According to The Encyclopedia of Furniture by Joseph Aronson, no reliable records indicate the production of modern varnish prior to 1848. Currently most modern varnish is made of linseed oil and phenolic resins, which were introduced in 1909.

Shellac is derived from an excretion of the Laccifer lacca insect, native to Thailand and India. Produced first for the effect of its dye, the use of shellac can be traced to A.D. 250. However, its use as a furniture finish did not catch on in the West until the early 1800s according to the Shellac Export Promotion Council. However, a type of “spirit varnish,” a gum dissolved in alcohol. which greatly resembled shellac, was used as early as the 17th century in Europe for “padding” finishes, according to Aronson. Shellac was the principal furniture finish until the early 20th century when nitrocellulose lacquer was introduced.

Modern lacquer has no relation to the ancient Chinese art of lacquering. The original form of lacquer was derived from the lacquer tree of the Orient and was applied in numerous thin coats to wood and other objects. Nitrocellulose lacquer is made cellulose fiber, principally cotton, dissolved in butyl acetate.

So there is nothing ancient or mysterious about most old finishes. In fact the chemistry behind even the oldest of Western finishes is fairly recent. The value of an old finish lies in its undisturbed link to the past and the appearance it has attained over its lifetime. But while many 300-year-old, carefully preserved finishes are outstandingly beautiful, those less well preserved and cared for are much, much less pleasing. And in a significantly shorter period than 300 years some finishes get to be absolutely disgusting, or at least much less attractive. Should they be preserved simply because they are original?

As a general rule a less than attractive finish on an item will result in a lower value than a comparable item with a pleasing finish. The exception to this very general rule is the certifiable treasure, the piece of antiquity whose value is derived from its rarity and its very existence rather than its role as functional art, the duty normally ascribed to pieces of furniture. The truth is there just aren’t that many treasures made by our recognized master cabinetmakers from which to choose. Most of these craftsmen were a one-man band or at the very best had a few apprentices. Their output was not that great. Even in the early 19th century with the advent of factories and very large shops in multistory buildings, output was nothing like the late 19th century or the 20th century. So these items are indeed rare and deserve all the preservation we can afford them.

But the same attention is not necessarily lavished on mass-production items, even if they are a hundred years old – or more. Most items produced after the Civil War were made on a production line in a factory setting and there just isn’t that cachet of personal craftsmanship and direct connection to the distant past that we attach to older, rarer pieces. Of course there are the exceptions including some of the works of Gustav Stickley and Louis Majorelle but these are rare.

The whole subject boils down to the condition of the existing finish on the piece in question after we are sure it is not a national treasure. Several issues must then be dealt with.

Is the existing finish doing its original job? Remember that the first function of a finish is to protect the wood from moisture. If the finish is not intact enough to provide that protection then it must be augmented by conservation techniques, which may include additional finish or be replaced with another finish. This is required for the long-term preservation of the piece. If the finish is intact and is protecting the wood from the world, then all other questions become those of aesthetics and economics.

Will the piece look better if the finish is adjusted in some radical manner like resurfacing or refinishing? That is entirely up to the owner of piece. If they find the old, crackled shellac or varnish attractive, so be it. If not there, are the other options.

And at long last the real question. Will refinishing destroy the value of the piece? Assuming that all precautions have been observed and all the facts have been correctly assembled and duly noted and further assuming that the refinishing or resurfacing will be done in a competent professional manner, the answer is a resounding “probably not.” In fact the value will most likely be enhanced. A beautiful, honestly restored, fully functioning piece of furniture will always be more attractive, more desirable and more valuable than its run-down, grubby-looking cousin except in rare circumstances.

Send comments, questions and pictures to Fred Taylor at P.O. Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423 or email them to him at info@furnituredetective.com.

Visit Fred’s newly redesigned website at www.furnituredetective.com and check out the new downloadable “Common Sense Antiques” columns in .pdf format. His book How To Be a Furniture Detective is available for $18.95 plus $3 shipping. Send check or money order for $21.95 to Fred Taylor, P.O. Box 215, Crystal River, FL, 34423.

Fred and Gail Taylor’s DVD, Identification of Older & Antique Furniture ($17 + $3 S&H) is also available at the same address. For more information call 800-387-6377 (9 a.m.-4 p.m. Eastern, M-F only), fax 352-563-2916, or info@furnituredetective.com. All items are also available directly from his website.

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