Our English Lowboy's History
This English lowboy side table is a beautiful antique! For an antique of this age, it is:
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Sold and sturdy
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Great condition
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Rich in color
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Wonderful look and finish
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Still, we subjected it to the furniture's equivalent of a medical exam. Here are some of our key findings. Click to enlarge the relevant photo.
Slight wobble: Like many antiques, this piece has a slight wobble. Clearly, the legs aren't exactly the same height. This is easily corrected with felt pads on the feet.
Battered toes: The tips of some feet have suffered wear--a dent on the front left and a chip on the back right. This is all part of normal wear and tear. It does not detract from the grace of the curved feet.
Top's dark spots: The top has some dark spots or stains. Long ago, maybe wine, tea, or ink was spilled? Today, after 100s of years of waxing, they add to the top's character.
Top's normal wear: There's normal wear in the typical places--a bit more in the center, some in the upper right, and less in the upper left. This is from years of picking items up and setting them down on this working surface. All part of the piece's character.
Top's old markings: There are some old markings on the top--especially the lower right. Less than carvings, more like scratches. They've been well-waxed, even varnished, and now are part of the history. Given the behavior of our boys, we blame the rowdy children of the house, say, 150 years back.
Top's doweling: You can see the dowels that fasten the top to the body. This tells us how the piece was hand-crafted.
Front drawer's nicked corners: The lower corners of a few drawers have been banged and dinged over the years. All normal wear, tear, and charm.
Front's small gap along the top of drawers: There's a small gap--maybe 1/4"--between the top of the drawers' faces and the top of the drawer. Perhaps this was how the piece was built? From wear? From shrinkage? Regardless, it's hardly noticeable with the top's front overhang as well as the gap's dark shadow.
Front's thin crack above right leg: There was an old repair above the right leg. Up close, you can see the thin crack, maybe 2" in length. It doesn't distract from the face and adds character.
Right side's tiny gap above the front leg: There's a tiny gap between the top of the front leg and the body's siding--less than 1/8". Maybe a result of shrinkage? Hardly noticeable, given its size, placement, and shadow.
Right side's apron not symmetrical: The curve of the apron on the right side is not very symmetrical. This adds a bit of whimsy and high-lights the hand-crafted nature of the piece.
Right side's missing chip from the upper left corner: A small piece of wood is missing from the upper left. Maybe from a natural imperfection? Still, centuries of polish and care have made this part of the piece's charm.
Left side's tiny gap above the back leg: There's a tiny gap between the top of the back leg and the body's siding--less than 1/8". Maybe a result of shrinkage? Hardly noticeable, given its size, placement, and shadow.
Left rear leg's old repair: The left rear leg had a repair long ago. You can see evidence where the leg is attached to the base as well as where the upper leg attaches to the top. This does not impact stability. Cudos to the old craftsmen! This is not noticeable as it's on a back leg.
Right rear leg's old repair: The right rear leg has been repaired, too. With evidence of an old screw, sealed cracks, etc. It looks more recent than the repair to the left leg, though still old. This is not noticeable as it's on a back leg.
Back's missing support block: The back is missing a support block--about 3" long. Maybe, this happened recently (i.e., last 50 years)? This has no functional impact, and it isn't noticeable as it's on the back.
Back not finished: The center back of the piece is rough, unfinished wood, as is typical for this type of piece at this time.
