Archive for the ‘Antique’ Category

Antique Chairs

May 23, 2011 in Antique | Comments (0)

Chairs have long caught the fancy of furniture lovers and hence the great demand for antique rocking chairs including antique small rocking chairs, antique European dining chairs, antique oak dining room chairs and many other varieties of antique wooden chairs can hardly be surprising.

In India some antique chairs that can be found today bear the traditionally Bengali folk art of ‘Batali’ grafting. Batali grafting is a style of wood carving and craft which was used to decorate furniture pieces in the years of the British occupation in India. Such furniture pieces were often sent to Europe and hence the style of wood-carving is even present in European antique furniture.

Antique European furniture may also include intricately and delicately-carved Mahogany wood-furniture in traditionally European styles such as on sofa sets, Victorian and Edwardian desks, cots and cribs, dining tables and a variety of cabinets and corner tables.

However, in comparison, the traditionally Bengali carvings stood out because of their distinct style and the elaborate carving techniques such works of art employed.

Today, Batali carving antiques are available in the form of corner tables, display cabinets and a host of other pieces of ornately carved furniture pieces. There are also recreations and reproductions of such furniture-pieces that are made today because of the increasing demand for the traditional and antique finish.

When buying such antiques though, one should remember that most antiques hail from a more flamboyant ear than the one we live in so some furniture pieces from those ear can be very bulky.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


Antique Stoves

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Antique lovers have the option of purchasing genuine antique cook stoves or may decide to purchase restored and converted antique kitchen stoves or the more financially conservative antique-stove-fans could even opt for antique look stoves which would definitely be more economical and would also have functional value.

Today, one has the option of buying refurbished antique stoves through a variety of sources and many of these models can even be used with the necessary modifications.

These also allow antique lovers to adopt the antique look in their homes. Selling antique stoves is also not hard to do as there are many collectors and antique-lovers that would readily purchase an antique stove in good condition.

But for lovers of antique stoves, a little bit of antique stove history is very interesting to know. For instance, antique wood stoves were very popular as far back as in the end of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century.

American wooden stove companies offered economically priced wooden stoves at that time, which must have been responsible for the popularity of the item. Eventually gas-stoves were developed but because there was no adequately efficient system for the distribution of natural gas, such stoves took a lot of time to gain popularity.

Consequently these stoves did not become popular till the end of the First World War. Today, many varieties of antique stoves from different eras can be purchased at auctions, markets and can also be sourced through museums.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.

 

 


Antique Bottles

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People all over the world have been fond of collecting antique glass bottles like for instance antique ink bottles or antique perfume bottles. Even if you are not an avid bottle collector, it would be worthwhile to drop in at an exhibition for antique perfume bottles for sale.

Even today, many perfumeries make the effort to bottle their product in charming bottles but in the old days, almost every perfume bottle in existence was a work of art. Decorative art was very popular back in those days and artists preferred to create pieces of art rather than mass-produce boring styles in any work they did.

So if you do get the chance to drop in and take a look around at a shop that has antique bottles for sale, you must do so or risk losing out on this extra ordinary chance to get a look at the integrity of ancient artists.

However, if you actually want to buy an antique perfume bottle for your collection, you must get all the facts on bottle-collecting first. Before you shell out any cash, you should get an idea of various perfume-bottle styles from different era s and cultures.

It would help to refer to a pricing list for antique bottles to see that you are not paying too much for the bottle you decide to buy. There are also many books available that offer information on the process of identifying antique glass bottles and this would be crucial if you decide to buy a genuine antique..

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


Antique Postcards

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Many people enjoy the hobby of collecting postcards. But collecting antique postcards can not only be enjoyable but also lucrative. Like with any collection, different antique postcards have different demands and different values. The value of antique postcards is also determined by the collector’s need to have it in his or her collection.

If a collector is specifically looking for certain antique embossed postcards, antique postcards stamps or Halloween antique postcards for instance, that drives up the price of those items. However, here it should be remembered that other collectors who may not necessarily need those items in their collection would not be willing to pay the same price for those postcards.

Hence when you are looking for sale postcards antique, keep the usual elements of antique-hunting in mind. You must be careful to inspect the condition of the card, the rarity of the piece, the stamp and any markings to be found on the postcard and any such details that would contribute to a price hike or a lower value of the antique postcard. But postcard collectors rarely collect postcards for the sake of price alone.

These cards speak of a different time and era and allow the owner a glimpse of what the world used to look like in ancient times. For instance, imagine getting your hands on one of the hand-painted postcards that were used during the British occupation in India. It would be worth every penny as it affords you a chance to look back in ancient Indian history..

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


Antique Golf Clubs

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The history of Indian golf has its roots in the early nineteenth century. This was about the time when the first Indian golf club was founded in the city of Calcutta. It was here that the first Indian National tournaments were played in the latter portion of the nineteenth century.

This tournament is today recognized as the second oldest golf tournament in the world. Therefore it can be seen that golf is no new sport for the Indian masses.

So much so, in fact that Indian even developed an organized and systematic structure to play golf by forming an organized golf union in the mid-twentieth century. Naturally, with such an old history of golf, Indian golf fans have great value for antique golf equipment clubs.

To understand the worth and value of antique golf clubs, one must first know about the basics and history of the sport. In the game of golf, the goal is to hit the ball into a hole using the various golf clubs to achieve various different kinds of shots. Each club has a specific purpose and each club is best suited for a specific kind of shot.

In that sense, gold club brands gain popularity based on the grip they have and the quality of the strike they can achieve. Thus antique Spalding golf clubs are popular because of the success that players have accomplished while using these clubs. Aside from golf clubs, gold fans also collect items like autographs from famous golf personalities..

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.

 

 


Antique Clocks

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Few antiques are as popular as clocks antique. This is because of many reasons. For one thing, an antique clock may be easier to position in one’s house.

Another reason is that such clocks are not bulky or hard to maintain, yet they are beautiful decorative pieces that can add charm and beauty to any room. One can find many antique wall clocks for sale nowadays, the most popular of which would include antique school clocks, antique banjo clocks, unique antique cuckoo clocks and antique American grandfather clocks.

Antique German cuckoo clocks are also extremely popular but with the purchase of any of these clocks, one must remember that replacement parts for antique clocks can be extremely expensive and hard to source. Of course, each kind of antique clock has is different and hence not all varieties of antique clocks may have this problem so one must be cautious as far as the choice of these items are concerned.

Many antique lovers do not mind keeping a non-functioning antique clock in their homes from purely a decorative point-of-view so that must also be considered before purchasing an antique clock.

Although one can seek the help of a price guide for antique clocks before making a purchase, antique clock lovers would want to know about the history of the clock. In ancient times, before the existence or invention of time-telling machines, farmers relied on seasons to get an idea of time.

The actual hour of the day or minute of the hour had no actual relevance back in those days. One of the first time-telling devices was the Egyptian obelisk whose shadow was used to represent noon. Eventually, the hour glass was invented and this was followed by water-powered ancient time-telling machines.

There is evidence to suggest the use of certain mechanical tower clocks in early monasteries in the medieval era. Gradually, mechanical clocks without pendulums were introduced sometime in the thirteenth century. These clocks however, would chime every hour but could not be read to tell the exact time. They did not have dials. Almost over a century later, the first clocks with hands and dials made an appearance but these were made from heavy iron and were very large and bulky.

In the middle of the seventeenth century, the astronomer Galileo worked on an invention of a pendulum-clock-mechanism but did not live to complete his creation. Thereafter the invention of the first pendulum clock came to be attributed to an inventor called Christian Huygens. With the increased efficiency and accuracy that this invention provided, minute hands now came into use.

Small household clocks started making an appearance by the early part of the fifteenth century. After Huygens invention swinging pendulums started to become popular in household varieties of clocks. This eventually led to the manufacture of grandfather clocks. Pricing antique grandfather clocks can be a grueling task as the appraiser must take the history of the clock, the era of its manufacture and the quality of the mechanism into account.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


Antique Maps

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Maps have always been a favorite with antique collectors, since time immemorial. In part, this was due to the charm and excitement that was associated with the idea of possessing a genuine treasure map. Today however, antique world maps have a huge demand. Antique panoramic maps and antique maps and atlases can be bought at auctions and through specific antique dealers. On the other hand, one can purchase such maps by conducting specific searches depending on their preferences.

For instance, one could search sites that offer antique maps for sale for antique maps Ireland, antique maps North America, antique maps Africa or perhaps even antique wall maps of Hawaii depending on the area and style he or she prefers.

As with any form of collection, novices need to equip themselves with adequate knowledge to be able to make a smart purchase and one that they will be able to enjoy for years and perhaps even pass down to future generations as an heirloom.

Today, antique map collecting is a burgeoning hobby in many parts of the world. The appeal of antique maps stems from the fact that they are steeped in history. Maps have the ability to relay a lot of information about the lives and preferences of the people who existed in certain parts of the world at specific times.

In addition, maps can also reveal information about the area from which you family or ancestors hailed. They can provide you with facts about a specific culture.

Finally, the most basic and perhaps the most common reason that a collector buys an antique map is because with the appropriate type of frames to adorn them, these make excellent decorative objects that are almost always the centre of conversation in the room they adorn.

In order to buy an antique map, antique map enthusiasts must visit antique map dealers, attend map fairs and go through magazines and publications on the subject in order to make an educated choice. This way they can gain knowledge about various areas of importance like which maps are most popular, what to look for when buying an antique map, how to tell if the map is a genuine antique etc.

As is always a fear in the case of antiques, one can be fooled into purchasing a counterfeit and hence, antique lovers must be aware of certain historical facts, dates and cultures before embarking upon this hobby.

In addition, antique map collectors must find out about map societies and framing centers and shops in their vicinity. This is because they cans seek advice from such authorities and also use the opinion of experts in order to frame their purchase in such a way as to maximize its look and hence profitability.

Antique map aficionados must also learn about how to maintain antique maps so that remain in excellent condition and do not lose value. Certain temperatures or conditions can cause the lettering or printing on such expensive and beautiful maps to fade and hence can be very damaging to the value of the precious antique. .

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


Antique Trucks

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Colorful, Antique trucks are a very interesting form of antique collectors’ items yet as a collectors’ item, these have gained most popularity in mainly the Western countries. Museums such as The Heidrick Centre in California which includes The Hays Antique Truck Museum provide valuable information and displays on the subject of antique trucks including antique four wheel drive trucks and antique pickup trucks and the parts and components of trucks antique.

Although it is not hard to come across antique trucks for sale – including antique fire trucks for sale, antique pick up trucks for sale or for that matter, classic and antique trucks sale – antique truck enthusiasts must be aware of a certain amount of truck history before they decide to take on the responsibility of owning or restoring antique trucks.

At the Hays museum, one can learn about large antique trucks of yesteryear like the immensely famous John Deere models or Knox models that were among the first trucks ever made in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century as well as about other models and kinds of trucks. Other antique truck manufacturing companies that are well-known are Mack, Sterling, Oshkosh, but aside from these The Hays Museum also has the only existing model of a 1916 Breeding Steam Truck.

When Diamantine Brothers Transportation Inc took over Sterling, the new company used deep shades of red on the body of the truck while wheels and front bumpers were off-white or cream in sharp contrast. These trucks were originally used to transport lumber, cement and a variety of other heavy products through all of California and Nevada.

The Sterling Company on the other hand had an excellent reputation for the manufacture of strong, sturdy, heavy-duty trucks as far back as in the early twentieth century. The Sterling-White brand of Cleveland was synonymous with quality. Because of this reputation several other truck companies tried to adopt the Sterling name in the early twentieth century in order to benefit from association with the reputed brand.

In addition to visiting truck museums, one can also find valuable sources of antique truck-related information in publications that deal with the subject. Today, because of a rising curiosity about the history of antique trucks, there are many magazines and publications that offer information on the subject of antique trucks. These publications are quite extensive and include information and facts on a vast variety of trucks including fire trucks, military vehicles and classic trucks from the olden days.

Antique trucks like any antique vehicles are not easy to maintain however and before one decides to take up the Herculean task of restoring an antique truck, he or she must work out all the costs that he or she would incur to source out the important components of such trucks. Since delivering a quality product, rather than profitability was the order of the day back in those days, and also partly because of the archaic methods of manufacture and the lack of machinery, the components of such antique trucks can be not only hard to find but also very expensive..

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


Antique Jewelry

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In recent years, antique furniture dealers have been receiving the patronage of many art aficionados and history buffs who have taken up antique furniture collecting. There is a great demand for various different kinds of furniture like antique bedroom furniture, English antique furniture and French antique furniture and in the genre of antique furniture dining room sets and other furniture-sets also have a high demand. Antique furniture pieces can date back to over three centuries sometimes so collecting such furniture does not just translate into owning an expensive or ornate piece of furniture but it is also about owning a small piece of history if you think about it.

As you can imagine, some older pieces may require restoration or touching up. There is no point in owning a beautiful piece of furniture unless you can restore it to at least some of its original glory. To do this, you can take it to an antique specialist. You can also order antique furniture accessory from china should your acquisition be missing a part or two. If you need to get your antique polished or painted always employ the services of a trusted and reputable antique dealer or restoration expert. Antiques – because of their demand and rarity and in many cases, also because of the quality of workmanship they display – are very expensive and trying to economize on the services of a specialist can end up costing you dearly.

Antique furniture for sale in the West often hails from the early eighteenth century. Most antiques from this era were handmade because the use of machine tools was rare. The workmanship and skill on the handmade product is usually so excellent that these command a huge price in today’s antique market. Some antique English furniture and even antique China furniture do suggest the use of machine tools. In pieces that are traced back to the early eighteenth century, such evidence comes in the form of metal nails. Antiques from the early nineteenth century and late eighteenth century certainly employed more machine tools in their manufacture.

Because of the craftsmanship on antique wooden furniture, such pieces command an especially high value. Wooden tales, game boards and chests that were created and carved in ancient India are immensely appreciated for the skill they demonstrate. However these antiques fetch a much better price overseas as it is not uncommon to see antiques being sold for much less than their actual worth in local Indian markets. Of course, antiques that are sold in such markets do not carry a stamp or certificate of authentication and hence would need to be appraised before they can be tagged as authentic.

When buying antique furniture for your home, you should remember to find a suitable use for such pieces. Age may make some of these pieces more fragile and hence they may not necessarily have the same use as they were originally intended for. For instance, an antique table could be used as a showpiece rather than as a functional table.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.


French Antiques

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Popular French antiques that are greatly sought-after today have such art depicted on French porcelain antiques and French provincial antiques to cite a few examples and in the genre of antiques French furniture has a great worldwide demand.

Some of the oldest prices of French antique furniture have revealed that carvings on furniture were not part of the ancient style of furniture making. Furniture in those days, unlike French antiques 1900s was designed along clean lines, using architectural guidelines. Glued-on painted canvases were routinely used to decorate furniture in that era. Gradually, as furniture pieces and panels became smaller, moldings and modifications such as carvings came into use.

These artistic pieces of furniture which were known as bahuts or huches were often in the form of chests.

They were often the main furniture pieces that French people owned in ancient times. Usually, these massive chests would be used as seats in the daytime and would be used as beds at night time. They were, in that sense, the original sofa-cum-beds. They also provided packing space for the belongings of the owner and were hence extremely multi-functional pieces of furniture. These bulky chests would be carried around by people from place to place during their travels until some time in the fifteenth century when permanent residences became the norm and people didn’t feel the need to travel with all their personal belongings to every location.

When you look for French antiques for sale, do not be surprised at the vast variety of church furniture that is available. These ornately crafted pieces which may have their roots in an era when gothic art gained popularity in Europe, are exquisite creations. In that era however, household furniture did not progress as much as church furniture and home furniture pieces were relatively simple and boring in comparison.

In the fifteenth century, gothic architectural and artistic styles transformed into something of a combination between Gothic and Renaissance art forms. The latter had gained popularity in Italy and had made its way to France from that part of the world. This brought about the start of French Renaissance art. Therefore it is safe to assume that French antiques that depict a combination of renaissance and Gothic art were probably manufactured sometime in the fifteenth century.

Egyptian French antiques are the result of Napolean Bonaparte’s advent into Egypt. It is believed that Napoleon’s first interest in Egypt developed during his issues with Italy. Typically, Napolean shared the company of several Egyptian scientists and artists. Over time, it was only natural for these relations to lead to a fusion in arts and culture. Egyptian French furniture antiques reproductions that are immensely popular today are a result of this combination of cultures..

IMPORTANT NOTE: Items over hundred years are not permitted to be taken out of India without the permission of the Director General, The Archaeological survey of India, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 011.