The only time a modern reproduction gets into a furniture museum or an antiques dealer is usually because the maker has fooled the curator or the owner and created a fake. Likewise, I’ve been to lots of furniture shows where the pieces are mostly beautifully made but they are all NEW. Therefore it was an interesting experience to see reproductions and 250-year old originals displayed along side each other.
The Connecticut Historical Society (CHS) and the Society of American Period Furniture Makers (SAPFM) have done an excellent job putting on “A Tradition of Craft” which is on display at the CHS museum until September 6th, 2012. I was one of the judges given the hard task of selecting the 34 pieces made by SAPFM members that made it into the show from from over 90 that were entered. Paired with some of the new works are eight pieces from the CHS’ collection of 18th and 19th century pieces made in Connecticut. It was fun to enter a gallery and to try and tell from across the room which was old and which was new. Up close the task was easy as none of the SAPFM pieces were deliberately trying to look old, but it was interesting to study just what happens to a piece after two hundred years of use. I could see making a piece and making the edges of the top slightly dented, maybe knock a little chunk or two off protruding carvings or feet, but would I go to the extreme of creating an ink stain on the top? That takes guts!
Whether you’re already a fan of Federal, a champion of Chippendale, or woud just like to know more about period furniture you would enjoy a visit to this show.
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