Decorative arts and furniture

Unlike paintings, decorative objects often bear marks that allow them to be identified: a cabinetmaker's stamp, a silversmith's hallmark, a manufactory mark, a glassmaker's signature. These marks are evidence, but also targets for forgers.

Reading marks requires a skill that only specialist experts possess. OIMAP maintains a directory of stamps and hallmarks, linked to the profiles of accredited experts.

The segment is changing: sales of classical-style furniture are falling, while 20th-century furniture, design and exceptional silverware are rising. Younger buyers look for pieces with a strong identity, easier to fit into contemporary interiors.

Online sales are particularly developed here: 38% of lots are now sold online, against 21% in 2019. They make documentation (photographs, condition reports) even more decisive.

Wood is a living material, which moves with humidity and heat. An antique piece of furniture is therefore rarely perfect: it has shifted, cracked, been repaired. The challenge is to tell normal wear from serious deterioration.

The examination of a piece of furniture includes the study of joints (dovetails, tenons, pegs), tool marks, the patina of hidden surfaces and the consistency of wood species. These elements make it possible to confirm the period and detect replacements.