Now the big question… Can you restore an Antique without destroying its value? The answer is simple, yet complicated. First you need to determine IF it is an antique. Unlike many dealers and appraisers we place logic ahead of guessing. An antique is any furniture built before the industrial revolution, around 1820. This is not just another guess; it is based in logic and fact. Before 1820 everything had to be hand made by artisans, cabinetmakers and carpenters. Beginning in the 1820 man found ways to mass produce furniture by machines, although crude at first, machine made none the less. Furniture making is an art skill and to be true art it needs to be made by the artist, not just another copy. Now that we have cleared that up, let us address the question. Anything and everything over 50 years old has been cleaned repaired and/or restored unless it was placed in a sealed glass box with humidity controlled environment. I can guaranteed that it has been nicked, dented, banged, chipped, repaired, glued, scratched, polished, or cleaned, in other words it’s been touched by someone and therefore used.
To make it easier to understand what I am trying to explain, let me give you a scenario: Everyone has heard of the “The Mona Lisa”, by Leonardo Da Vinci. We know for a fact that DaVinci started painting it in 1503 and finished in 1519. We also know that the painting now hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris, France, however that was not always the case. It was moved to the Louvre in 1799, prior to that it had many homes. It was also moved from the Louvre and placed in hiding during times of war. However, for the majority of the past 220 years the painting has stayed in the Louvre under constant care, protection and maintenance. Even with all this protection and care the painting did not stay in pristine condition. By the end of the sixteenth century the painting had already started to darken due to the varnish finish on the painting. In 1809 an aggressive cleaning and revarnishing was undertaken. This cleaning caused a washed out appearance to the face of the figure. The painting was stolen on Aug 21, 1911 and for a period of two years it was missing and poorly cared for. In 1956 the lower portion of the painting was doused in acid by a vandal, later that same year another vandal throw a rock at it chipping off paint on the elbow. So as you can see although the Mona Lisa has lasted over 500 years, most of the time protected and maintained at a museum it has not survived without some time of restoration. In addition to the 1809 restoration, the Mona Lisa has had restoration work done in 1906, 1913, 1952, 1956, 1977, 1985 and finally in 2005. These dates do not include routine cleanings and maintenance. Based on the current belief of the American antique dealer all this work and restoration done to this painting would make the painting worthless or at least worth less than it would be if it had not been restored. Preferably, according to the current American antique dealer’s claims, the painting would only be valuable if all you could see was a very dark black varnish square, with acid stains on the lower half and missing paint chips. The fact is that it is priceless and is maintained and restored to insure its value and longevity. So where did the idea “Restoring devalues an antiques” come from? That is a simple misuse of terminology taken to extreme. If you alter or change an antique it can, and in many cases will devalue it. In this same scenario let us imagine that in 1925 someone decided to paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa and cross out Da Vinci’s name and sign their own. This is no longer an original painting from the sixteenth century it is now modern art from the twentieth century by some unknown artist. The consequence of this to its value is substantial. Or is it? What if George Washington was the artist that made the changes and did so in 1776 as a sign of the rebellion and revolution? Then the question would be: is it more valuable by the original artist or as an historic piece? On a final note I should point out that even if an unknown artist altered the original painting, a master restorer/conservator can remove the alterations and restore it back to the original masterpiece. This will then preserve the original integrity of the painting by restoring the artisan’s intention. It will consequently restore the value of the original artwork by removing the modifications or alterations to the piece.
The same applies to antiques. When restoring an antique you want to have the original piece restored to its original color and finish. If you have it dipped and stripped and put a new or newer type of finish on it you have modified it and to any trained appraiser or dealer this will be obvious. However, have it restored properly by a trained professional and it will always increase in value. Many antiques are purchased based on ascetics more than worth so it is truly difficult, in fact nearly impossible, to place a value on any one piece. However, if an antique is falling apart or missing parts, like a leg on a chair, they are worthless in their current condition, therefore any repair or improvement will increase its sell ability.