An
antique is an old
collectibleA collectable or collectible is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector . There are numerous types of collectables and terms to denote those types. An antique is a collectable that is old...
item. It is collected or desirable because of its age (see definition), beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features. It is an object that represents a previous era or time period in human society.
It is common practice to define "antique", as applying to objects at least 100 years old.
Collectibles are, generally speaking, the possible antiques of the future and generally less than 100 years old.
The only real law concerning the definition of the word antique comes from the US customs office, that considers antique as anything 100 years old.
Antiques are usually objects which show some degree of craftsmanship, or a certain attention to design such as a desk or an early automobile. They are most often bought at antique shops, or passed down as an
estateAn estate is the net worth of a person at any point in time. It is the sum of a person's assets - legal rights, interests and entitlements to property of any kind - less all liabilities at that time. The issue is of special legal significance on a question of bankruptcy and death of the person...
. Some valuable antiques can be bought from antique dealers and auction services or purchased online through websites and online auctions. Antique dealers are often members of national trade associations, many of which belong to
CINOACINOA is the principal art and antique federation worldwide...
, a confederation of art and antique associations across 21 countries, representing 5000 dealers.
Pejoratively
The term "antique" is pejorative in some instances to imply that something is out of date.
Definition
The definition of
antique varies from source to source, product to product, and year to year. However, some time-tested definitions of
antique deserve consideration, such as the following:
- " An item which is in excess of 100 years old and which retains the same specifications that it had when made. Items which have had their specifications altered in a material way cease to be antiques. Thus, a chest of drawers
A chest of drawers, also called a dresser or a bureau, is a piece of furniture that has multiple parallel, horizontal drawers stacked one above another...
which has been lowered in height by the removal of a drawer, or a chair which had had arms added, or a silver tankard which has had a spout added to make it a jug - none of these items are antiques - even if the majority of the item is over 100 years old or bears hallmarks of an earlier date.{date August 2011}
- "An item which is at least 100 years old and is collected or desirable due to rarity, condition, utility, or some other unique feature. Motor vehicles, power tools and other items subject to vigorous use in contrast, may be considered vintage in the US if older than 50 years, and some electronic gadgets of more recent vintage may be considered antiques. Another general rule of thumb from the US customs office is 100 years for most objects to become antiques."
- "Any piece of furniture or decorative object or the like produced in a former period and valuable because of its beauty or rarity."
- The only known exception to the "100 year rule" would be cars. Since the definition of the term antique requires an item to be at least 100 years, or older, and the item in question must be in its original and unaltered condition, most cars clearly would not meet these terms, as yet. So, cars have generally been considered to be 'antique' if they are roughly 75 years old, or more. Furthermore, this is not a universally accepted concern, but rather a consideration made almost strictly by car collectors and enthusiasts.
In the United States, the 1930
Smoot-Hawley Tariff ActThe Tariff Act of 1930, otherwise known as the Smoot–Hawley Tariff was an act, sponsored by United States Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley, and signed into law on June 17, 1930, that raised U.S. tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods to record levels.The overall level tariffs...
defined an antique as "works of art (except rugs and carpets made after the year 1700), collections in illustration of the progress of the arts, works in bronze, marble, terra cotta, parian, pottery or porcelain, artistic antiquities and objects of ornamental character or educational value which shall have been produced prior to the year 1830." 1830 was roughly the beginning of
mass productionMass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
in the US and 100 years older than 1930
Smoot-Hawley Tariff ActThe Tariff Act of 1930, otherwise known as the Smoot–Hawley Tariff was an act, sponsored by United States Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley, and signed into law on June 17, 1930, that raised U.S. tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods to record levels.The overall level tariffs...
.
These definitions allow people to make a distinction between genuine
antique pieces,
vintage items, and
collectibleA collectable or collectible is any object regarded as being of value or interest to a collector . There are numerous types of collectables and terms to denote those types. An antique is a collectable that is old...
objects.
The alternative term
antiquitiesAntiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
commonly refers to the remains of ancient art and everyday items from antiquity, which themselves are often archaeological
artifactsAn artifact or artefact is "something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, esp an object of archaeological interest"...
.
The term
antiquarianAn antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...
refers to a person interested in
antiquitiesAntiquities, nearly always used in the plural in this sense, is a term for objects from Antiquity, especially the civilizations of the Mediterranean: the Classical antiquity of Greece and Rome, Ancient Egypt and the other Ancient Near Eastern cultures...
, or things of the past.
Antiquing
"Antiquing" is the act of shopping, identifying, negotiating, or bargaining for antiques. Items can be bought for personal use, gifts, and in the case of brokers and dealers, profit. Antiquing is performed at garage sales,
estate saleAn estate sale or estate liquidation is a sale or auction to dispose of a substantial portion of the materials owned by a person who is recently deceased or who must dispose of his personal property to facilitate a move.-Reasons for an estate sale:...
s, resort towns, antiques districts,
collectiveA collective is a group of entities that share or are motivated by at least one common issue or interest, or work together on a specific project to achieve a common objective...
s, and international auction houses.
Note that the word "antiquing" may also refer to the art of making an object appear antique through distressing or applying an antique looking paint application.
Antique furniture
The collecting of antique furniture is a particularly popular area of antiques due to the practical characteristics of these antiques, as well as the value. Many collectors use the pieces in their homes, and also care for them with the hope that they will hold their value or possibly appreciate in value over time. This is in contrast to buying new furniture which will depreciate in value from the moment it is purchased.
Antique furniture includes dining tables, chairs, bureaus, chests etc. The most common woods are
mahoganyThe name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, oak,
pinePines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
,
walnutJuglans is a plant genus of the family Juglandaceae, the seeds of which are known as walnuts. They are deciduous trees, 10–40 meters tall , with pinnate leaves 200–900 millimetres long , with 5–25 leaflets; the shoots have chambered pith, a character shared with the wingnuts , but not the hickories...
and
rosewoodRosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. All rosewoods are strong and heavy, taking an excellent polish, being suitable for guitars, marimbas, turnery , handles, furniture, luxury flooring, etc.In general,...
. Chinese antique furniture is often made with elm, a wood common to many regions in Asia. Each wood has its own distinctive grain and color. Many modern pieces of furniture often use
laminateA laminate is a material that can be constructed by uniting two or more layers of material together. The process of creating a laminate is lamination, which in common parlance refers to the placing of something between layers of plastic and gluing them with heat and/or pressure, usually with an...
or
wood veneerIn woodworking, veneer refers to thin slices of wood, usually thinner than 3 mm , that are typically glued onto core panels to produce flat panels such as doors, tops and panels for cabinets, parquet floors and parts of furniture. They are also used in marquetry...
to cheaply achieve the same effect. There are a number of different styles of antique furniture depending on when and where it was made. Some examples of stylistic periods are;
Arts & CraftsArts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
,
GeorgianGeorgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
,
RegencyThe Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style...
,
American PastoralAmerican Pastoral is a Philip Roth novel concerning Seymour "Swede" Levov, a Jewish-American businessman and former high school athlete from Newark, New Jersey. Levov's happy and conventional upper middle class life is ruined by the domestic social and political turmoil of the 1960s, which in the...
, and
VictorianThe Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
.
See also
- Antiquarian book trade in the United States
The antiquarian book trade in the United States is an aspect of book collecting and publishing. The term antiquarian, in general, refers to antiquities and collectible items usually considered old and rare, usually in reference to books, but is not limited to books...
- Antique tool
- Antiques restoration
Antiques restoration refers to either the practice of "restoration"- restoring an antique or work of art to a like-new condition , or "conservation"- the practice of preserving an antique or work of art against further deterioration.-Restoration:Restoration can be as simple as light cleaning to...
- Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
- Authentication
Authentication is the act of confirming the truth of an attribute of a datum or entity...
- Del Mar Antique Show
Now in its 51st year, the Del Mar Antique Show & Sale is the longest running family-owned indoor antique show in California and the largest south of San Francisco, with over of exhibition space.-History:...
- The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show
The San Francisco Fall Antiques Show , established in 1982, is the oldest continuously operating international antiques show on the West Coast and is ranked among the top such fairs in the world...
- Dolly Johnson Antique and Art Show
The Dolly Johnson Antique and Art Show is the longest-running antique show in the American West.Founded in 1963 by Dolly Johnson in Fort Worth, Texas, the show became the proto-type for others shows that focused on American Country Antiques...