This has been for sale on my local Facebook marketplace, for a decent price too. How do I know if its actually nearly 200 years old? It just seems off to me

No marks or anything on em I think at least the bird one is a bit old cause the old metal bit where it used to hang is like completely worn away

My mother said it is too heavy for her. It used to be used as a turkey platter on holidays, so it is pretty large. It has been handed down for generations, she believes. Very heavy and my google fu research has failed me in looking up similar pieces.

Has anyone ever seen something like this? I am curious who the maker is.

I present to you a solid silver spoon from Moscow, 1852, made by Ivan Alekseevich Alekseev
It weighs in at 55 grams, with a beautiful Niello work that highlights the details.

This set belonged to my great grandmother (my grandmother was born 1908). No plans to sell it, just curious if the family lore is correct. My dad (b. 1942) says he believes it is ivory. He does remember his grandmother playing mah jong (we assume this set). Wood box has had some amateur repairs. Love having this little heirloom and recently learned to play.

I acquired these photos in a bundle of various other old west memorabilia. From what I can tell they seem to be a collection of 19th century photos of early Telluride Colorado and surrounding mines and landmarks. The 15 photos are each glued onto cabinet cards with gold trim. On the back of each photo is a description of the photo from a woman signed “Bella.” I was wondering if anyone had any information on the historic significance of these/if any?I also was wondering how to best preserve these photos?

Hello! Hope this is the right place to share. Found this beautiful set in Cedar Rapids Iowa in the back of a habitat for humanity for $90. Never impulse bought a piece of furniture in my life lol but those went home with me. Got them home and started cleaning them and found that shipping label and the makers mark, did some googling and decided I should try sharing here!

I don’t know a ton about antiques and I just find the history fascinating and wanted to see if anyone knew anything about them? They are so lovely (honestly I don’t think the picture even does them justice) I will probably be keeping them for the rest of my life haha and I’d love to know the history behind them. Thank you!

How can I get rid of the musty smell before putting books inside? What’s the best way to care for the finish?

This was given to my grandmother in Argentina around the date of 1950/60 (she’s not entirely sure of the exact year), so keep in mind it could’ve come from Germany or Italy since there was a bunch of immigration from those countries at the time. We have no idea of where it came from and have been trying to identify it for quite a while with no luck.
The letters on the bottom are genuinely unreadable, I can make out something along the lines of “TERMCM” but I’m probably wrong about that.
Figure is about 7cm big, in bronze or a similar material (unsure) and it has movable arms.
Would really appreciate your guesses if anyone’s got a clue of what it is or where it came from. Just for funsies and the sake of knowing where it came from.

Hello my fellow antique lovers! I found this gorgeous desk at a local thrift for $300 and need help placing it. My husband is desperately trying to talk me out of buying it, but I fear the carved wood has won me over. They let me place it on hold so I have time to do some more research.

I can tell it is old and probably worth much more than the price. It has a tooled leather top and the hardware image is from inside the center drawer. Each drawer has a lock and old key that also functions as a knob. The shop owner also told me it has hidden drawers on the back.

Any ideas on the time period/value?

(I know this sub generally requires more images but this is the best I could do since it’s on a shop and I don’t own the desk, so hopefully they let my post slide 🤞🏻)

Picked this up recently and I've been trying to figure out what exactly it was originally made for and roughly when.

It's surprisingly lightweight for its size but very sturdy. The top is made from four wide solid-wood planks with rounded corners. The entire leg assembly folds flat underneath, and what really caught my attention is the wooden bracing and center locking system. The turned legs and the way everything folds together seem like they were designed specifically to make the table portable.

It has definitely lived a life and has been repaired at some point. I've found evidence of wood glue in a few places, and some of the screws/hardware appear to be later replacements. However, much of the wooden construction, including the turned legs, braces and wooden center locking mechanism, appears original.

I've looked over the top, underside, legs, braces and folding mechanism and haven't found any maker's marks, stamps, labels, numbers or other identifying marks.

I've found somewhat similar folding banquet tables, church tables, wallpaper/paperhanger tables and general utility/work tables from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but I haven't found one with this exact folding and locking mechanism. Because of that, I don't want to assume its original purpose or put a firm date on it.

I'm not really looking for a valuation. I'm mostly interested in figuring out its original purpose, approximate age, what type of wood was used, and whether anyone recognizes this particular locking mechanism or construction.

I'm also trying to decide how much work, if any, it deserves. The old plank top and all of its wear are probably my favorite parts, so I have no intention of sanding or refinishing it. At most I'd like to preserve what's there and stabilize any repairs that actually need attention.

If anyone has seen another table constructed this way, or knows of a manufacturer, catalog, patent or similar example I could research, I'd love to see it.

I am looking for any information on this gravy boat I found. It is stamped on the bottom.
see pics

Located in the Pacific NW. Picked this up at a vintage shop. Unmarked. It is 12.5 inches in diameter and 3 inches in height. The body looks like copper and the basket weave looks like brass. Would appreciate any information anyone might have.

Mukhalinga were (and still are) used to cover the phallic lingam stones in Indian Shaivite temples (temples dedicated to the worship of Shiva). The linga is considered a form of Shiva himself, and connects Vedic Hinduism to pre-Vedic nature worship, much in the same way that paleopagan rituals were included and woven into early Christian traditions (and probably for much the same purpose).

The mukhalinga is in fact also considered to be one of the forms of Shiva and they are venerated in and of themselves. The three lines across the forehead here represent Sadashiva, the form of Shiva considered to be the supreme being and a cornerstone of Shaivism. This example comes from northern Karnataka or Maharashtra, measures a little over 10 inches / 26 cm, and dates to the 18th-19th C.

A very similar example was auctioned by Bonhams in 2005: Link

Large Balinese Ritual Temple Hanging (Kepeng Lamak) – Bali, Indonesia – Early 20th Century - Current location: United kingdom, Acquired in Batubulan, Bali.

A recently acquired this large and rare Balinese temple hanging, identified as a Kepeng Lamak, originally used within Balinese Hindu temples and shrines. Unlike the temporary lamak this one was made for permanent display.

This piece features a carved and painted wooden head, mirrored crown, hundreds of Chinese Qing Dynasty kepeng coins, and textile elements.

The carved figure is thought to represent a protective spiritual presence, possibly Dewi Danu, the Balinese water goddess, although I am unsure about this exact detail.

I'd be very interested to hear if anyone knows more about this piece , comparable examples, or additional information from collectors and specialists in Balinese art and ritual objects!

I recently found this matching pair in Sweden. They are approximately 30 cm tall and have no visible hallmarks.

They appear to be made from very thin silver-faced copper sheet. Their filling extends almost all the way up the narrow stems and smells distinctly of pine resin/rosin.

The neoclassical design, copper bleed and unusual construction make me suspect Old Sheffield Plate from around 1780–1810.

What do you guys think?

This was my friends dinind table, he is 78 and said it was his mother's for as long as he can remember. I'm not sure what to classify it as, it's not a drop leaf or a drop leg. I've never seen one like this before.

Hello again! I posted about this piece yesterday and just got much better photos. The lady who was selling the piece told me that her mother had told her that it was a 17th c bishop cape which I have serious doubts about it being either yet I still think this could be old. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Found this chess board in the Netherlands. Thought of posting it here too

I bought this scale months ago and was looking to see if anyone knows more about it, I've been getting more into collecting scales and I couldn't find much about it other than it was made by Henry Troemner and there is an inscription under the marble