Reproduction of Genius: Antique Furniture Replicas

Louis XV style nesting tables, early 20th century

With everyone cutting back, we’re all interested in “getting the look for less,” and the auction world offers plenty of options.  In the antiques marketplace, reproduction pieces often get a bad rap, perceived as poor imitations of great classics.  Some people tend to turn up their noses at newer reproductions, sniffing about things like “authenticity” and “craftsmanship,” but in reality, reproduction pieces are often bench-made with hand tools, usually carefully constructed from patterns of antique pieces or recreating historic designs, and frequently based on objects from a museum’s collection.  Also, for some people, there’s some freedom in living with newer things – less worry about damage and less responsibility than one might feel when living with a historic object.

Depending on the company name, some reproduction pieces can command impressive prices at auctions, but there are also some great buys – you can get an incredible look for pennies on the dollar compared to authentic pieces.  The Louis XV-style nesting tables pictured above sold for just $270 – less than newly-purchased reproduction pieces or comparable pieces purchased new at a furniture store, and certainly less than the real thing!

Names like Kittinger, Henkel-Harris, and Nutting have been in the repro business for decades, but newcomers like David T. Smith and J.L. Treharn of Ohio are producing beautiful objects as well.

Lester Breininger charger, sgraffito decoration of potted tulips

And we’re not just talking about furniture here: Lester Breininger’s modern redware creations bring strong prices at auction, David T. Smith’s workshops have created Turtlecreek Pottery, a line of reproduction redware, and David Ellinger’s German-inspired artwork has developed collectors in its own right.  Thanks to good looks and good quality, reproductions are finally earning the good reputation their predecessors already have.

-Hollie Davis, Senior Editor, p4A.com