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Q. This table was bought at an estate sale in Ontario in the 1960s for $1,200. Apparently, it was brought from England by the estate owner’s great-grandfather. It’s about 102 centimetres tall (40 inches) and I believe it’s rosewood veneer. The carving is different on each side so I think it must be hand done. We were told it was one of 13 tables made for the lawyers of the Canterbury Cathedral.
A. Your interesting story might have some truth to it but it has likely evolved over time. This is a wonderful piece known as a canterbury, meant for printed paper music in the form of sheets and books. Renowned furniture maker Thomas Sheraton said in “The Cabinet Dictionary” that canterburies were so named because they were reputedly commissioned by the Archbishop of Canterbury. This one was made about 1860 and it’s mahogany veneer with hand carving and fret-sawn partitions. They are scarce pieces, usually owned only by very well-to-do people. The fickle marketplace for antiques of today has gone up since the 1960s and settled back down at the same value today, averaging $1,200.
Q. I inherited this dulcitone from my ex-husband’s uncle. It’s a lovely old piece of furniture but I plan to sell it. It was made by Thomas Machell & Sons, Glasgow, Scotland. It’s about 100 cm wide (39 inches). I was hoping for $2,000 but that doesn’t seem likely at this point so I’m looking for some guidance.
A. You have a lovely and rare musical instrument — a category of antique where musicians wanting to play period instruments are most often the interested buyers. The dulcitone was invented by Thomas Machell sometime around 1860. It’s a percussion instrument, just like a piano but it has tuning forks instead of strings and never goes out of tune. They have a soft sound, a short keyboard — 49 to 68 keys — and are quite portable with folding legs and handles on each side. Yours dates to circa 1890 or 1900 and the case is mahogany. In perfect working order you might be able to realize $750 today.
Q. This cabinet belonged to my late husband’s grandmother. She claimed it was over 100 years old. It’s about 224 cm tall (7.5 feet) and 152 cm wide (five feet.) We paid $900 for it 20 years ago.
A. This sideboard is designed to suit tastes of the Aesthetic period of the 1870s and early 1880s — one fashioned after Japanese art with stylized floral motifs. The spindle turnings and dentil work are also typical. Dark finishes were used, often covering either walnut or cherry. It has the feel of a Canadian-made piece but it could also be American. Dining room furniture, as well as large pieces, are not selling well presently. It would struggle to make $600 at auction today. It is a fine piece, regardless, and there was a time not that long ago that it might have fetched $2,000.
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