Incollect Magazine - Issue 4

2023 Incollect Magazine 101 The second thing to look for is color. Usually, you don’t have to look very hard to find color — the piece has it or it doesn’t. Color is inherent in the quality of timber used in the manufacture. A straight-grained piece of maple, for example, will fade a bit and have a little color, but it will not have the intensity of rock or bird’s eye maple with its swirling grain patterns. This is because the refraction of light is variable according to the grain direction. But color is also “patina”. Patina is a multitude of things that begins with how wood is affected by time and continues with maintenance, usage, abuse, resurrection, dirt, pollution and sunshine. The piece of straight- grained maple, on its own mundane, can look extraordinary with the addition of patina. Above From Wick Antiques comes this unusual Amboyna cupboard by Gillow & Co, dated 1874. The choice of timbers that cabinetmakers had at hand in the 19th century was phenomenal given how far it had to travel, Indonesia or possibly Burma, in this case. A functional cupboard, but with such great timber, you want the piece to be seen. The gray marble top is original. Left Michael Lipitch has a great collector’s piece, an especially fine Chippendale period serpentine front chest, dating to 1765. The serpentine chest has a wide variety of iterations: three drawers or four, straight or shaped bracket feet, shaped sides, or straight? This chest has wonderful Cuban mahogany in untouched condition, original lacquered gilt bronze handles and beautiful proportions. 2 color is key