Reproductions Art Nouveau Furniture

Dear All,

Because Art Nouveau objects are becoming more difficult to find and can be worth a lot of money, reproductions are being introduced.

For buyers who would like to buy an affordable piece, webpages are offering nice reproductions :

* THE RENNIE MACKINTOSH STORE

* Official Henry van de Velde Reproductions

* Dian Furniture Ltd
(for example the "The Dragonfly" table/ Table "Les Libellules")

* Eastwood Furniture

* CustomMade

For people buying on the internet or on auctions, spotting and identifying of good reproductions is getting more and more difficult.
Because not only the object, but also the signature is perfectly copied!

A seller is not perfect and might not have noticed that he is selling a reproduction.

Be very aware of the description in the advertisement/ catalogue.
* Style (in the style of)
* Deco (decorative)
* Att. (attributed to)

One of the experts of the Antiques Roadshow (BBC UK) once told the viewers that the best way to start is to think that the object is a reproduction and then check pro's and con's to convince yourself that it is really a copy.

The advantage of reproduction furniture is that if the seller is making the furniture itself, he might be able to restore pieces for you! Or knows somebody who might be able to help you.

If you want to inform the board members of an interesting site where reproductions are sold please do not hesitate to make a post!

Be aware!
Stella

A site that has some furniture (they used to have more) is Design Toscano. I have two of their Harp Side Tables and I found the construction and finish quality to be very good. Product link: http://www.designtoscano.com/product/code/AF88074.do

In a conversation I had with an importer, there are skilled people in China that can make copies of furniture inexpensively just by showing them pictures of what you want. I wonder if a lot of reproduction furniture is made this way?

I have seen websites of companies making reproduction Victorian furniture. I am going to ask them if they would consider making art nouveau styled furniture.

Ceci a été traduit en Français utilisant le traducteur de Babel Fish :

Un emplacement qui a quelques meubles (ils avait plus) est conception Toscano. J'ai deux de leurs Tableaux de côté d'harpe et j'ai trouvé la qualité de construction et de finition pour être très bon. Lien de produit : http://www.designtoscano.com/product/code/AF88074.do

Dans une conversation j'ai eu avec un importateur, là suis les personnes habiles en Chine qui peut tirer des copies des meubles économiquement juste en leur montrant des images de ce que vous voulez. Je me demande si beaucoup de meubles de reproduction sont faits à de cette façon ?

J'ai vu des sites Web des compagnies faisant des meubles de Victorian de reproduction. Je vais leur demander si elles envisageraient de faire les meubles dénommés par nouveau d'art.

I received this reply from David Newton at victorianreplicas.com:

"Thank you very much for contacting me. I have two principal sources of furniture, both in Central Java. I have been working with one of them since 1990, and enjoy excellent relations and confidence in their abilities and reliability."

"The majority of our pieces are replicas of English antiques. Honduras mahogany was commonly used in the originals, and there was a large hand-carved content. Discovery of Dutch colonial plantations of honduras mahogany in Java (Indonesia) together with a wood-carving tradition provided the ideal basis for an industry which has developed over the last 30 years or so thanks to work by English antique dealers who were looking initially for replica Chippendale dining chairs. Much time and effort went into developing the carving, and later the finishing to enable the production of quality pieces."

"With this background, we are certainly well placed to supply suitable furniture designs with reliable quality."

"I would be glad to talk with you to discuss further. Please don't hesitate to call me any time."

"In the meantime, if you wish to collect some photographs of pieces you are interested in, that would be a good starting point."

"Looking forward to hearing from you!"

"Best regards
David
(415) 552 6367"
victorianreplicas.com"

(Ceci a été traduit en Français utilisant le traducteur de Babel Fish)

J'ai reçu cette réponse de David Newton chez Victorianreplicas.com :

Merci infiniment pour me contacter. J'ai deux principales sources des meubles, toutes les deux dans Java central. J'avais travaillé avec l'une d'entre elles depuis 1990, et apprécie d'excellentes relations et confiance en leurs capacités et sérieux. La majorité de nos morceaux sont des reproductions des antiquités anglaises. L'acajou de Honduras était utilisé généralement dans les originaux, et il y avait un grand contenu main-découpé. La découverte des plantations coloniales hollandaises de l'acajou de Honduras dans Java (Indonésie) ainsi qu'une tradition de wood-carving a constitué la base idéale pour une industrie qui s'est développée au-dessus des 30 dernières années ou ainsi grâce au travail par les brocanteurs anglais qui regardaient au commencement pour la reproduction Chippendale dinant des chaises. Beaucoup d'heure et d'effort sont entrés dans développer le découpage, et plus tard le finissage pour permettre la production de la qualité rapièce.

Dans ce contexte, nous sommes certainement bons placés aux conceptions appropriées de meubles d'approvisionnement avec la qualité fiable.

Je serais heureux de parler avec vous pour discuter en outre. Svp don' ; t hésitent à m'appeler n'importe quand.

En attendant, si vous souhaitez rassembler quelques photographies des morceaux vous êtes intéressé dedans, cela seriez un bon point de départ.

Dans l'attente d'avoir de vos nouvelles !

Les souvenirs

David
(415) 552 6367
victorianreplicas.com

Hello John,

Thank you very much for your research!! It was very intresting to learn that copies are also made in Java.

I know that some shops are even importing containerloads of reproductions to sell on the local market and via Internet. Offcourse they are normally very reluctant to tell about the source as they are afraid that somebody else will enter in the same market.

"Your" tables are also surfacing in Europe as you can see (photo below), on pages similar to Ebay and even at auction houses (mostly indicated as Art Nouveau Style). Some of them are even asking more then the price you have paid for them!



My experience is that the the countries in Asia can reproduce everything you want as long as they have an example, detailed photos or plans are normally sufficient. The workmanship and skills are still widly available in countries like India, China, Japan, etc.

European countries and America have gone for mass production, but the Asian countries countries in Eastern Europe countries are still producing according to the same technics as they did in the 18th and 19th century.

Please don't forget that there is a difference between Reproductions and modernday pieces:
- reproductions are made by countries were the original pieces have NEVER been made before.
- modernday pieces are pieces which are made in the same place where these pieces have been produced for the last hundreds of years.

I have had a discussion at a fair a week ago about Russian Ikons, because more and more ikons are being brought on the European market. These Ikons are NOT fake, as they are being made in the villages which were founded hundreds of years ago specially for the production of Ikons , lacquer work, etc. The craftsman are still using the same material, same designs and same "machines" to produce the ikons. This makes it very difficult to date a piece and when you don't have the expertise it is very easy to buy a modern piece by mistake.

QUOTE
Fedoskino is the original center for the unique art form of Russian lacquer miniature painting. This village of approximately 2,500 inhabitants is located on the banks of the Ucha River, just 24 miles north of Moscow. Today Fedoskino supports a thriving art industry that originated over two centuries ago. The original school and guild of Russian lacquer miniature painting was founded here in 1795. Today nearly three hundred artists and scores of highly skilled craftsmen support their families by producing the uniquely beautiful works of art we call Russian lacquer miniatures.
UNQUOTE

The problem between the antique piece and the newly produced object is the difference in price. The antique piece will always keep value and the newly produced item will not be as valuable. Which will always cause so called "dealers" to mis-use reproductions.

Ah, if only I could find modernday pieces being made. But so far I have not found anyone making art nouveau pieces outside of Asia these days. If you know of anyone, please let me know.

(Ceci a été traduit en Français utilisant le traducteur de Babel Fish)

Ah, si seulement je pourrais trouver les morceaux modernday étant faits. Mais jusqu'ici je n'ai pas trouvé n'importe qui faire des morceaux de nouveau d'art en dehors de de l'Asie de nos jours. Si vous savez de n'importe qui, faites-le moi savoir.

Hello John,

Please find below some links for furniture makers who seem to be making Art Nouveau furniture in the Art Nouveau Style :

* Dorothy Roof Fine Furniture

* WILLIAM DOUB

Offcourse the price level will be much higher then the reproductions made in Asia.

Hope this helps and if I find another intresting link I will offcourse post it on the forum!
Stella

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