Why you need a beautiful antique Venetian floral treasure

I tend to fall in love with anything vintage floral- there is no debate on that one. And add in green? Well, if something is green, with floral details, it is talking to me with a megaphone and even the best noise cancelling headphones won’t stop it. So, I have learned to just go with it. It saves a lot of time, debate and me peeking through my fingers at a vintage treasure knowing I want to see more but trying to ‘be good’. Like this antique Venetian floral treasure… I mean, I couldn’t resist. And on that note, when it comes to antique treasures, is ‘being good’ even a thing?

They are certainly treasures and you might only bump into one or a couple of them on occasion. So if you love love love it, I say go with it. That is the biggest reason why you need one of these if you love it.

Antique Venetian Floral Treasure

Dainty and Delicate and Delightful

Dainty and delicate and delightful- that pretty much sums up this little treasure and is another reason why you need one. They can tuck into all kinds of places without taking up too much footprint (depending on the piece of course.) They come in all shapes and sizes- from small chests of drawers to large secretary desks and much more. This was a marketplace find a few months back. We were on a little staycation getaway and so, of course, I perused the listings within a certain range. I saw this one pop up and reached out about it pretty quickly. Since there was just a couple of blurry photos of it in the listing, I could not tell if it was actually vintage. So we went to see it and I am sharing a couple of tips below about what to look closely at when buying a piece like this too so you can tell if you are buying vintage or reproduction and if it is priced accordingly.

Can we take a moment of appreciate for this dainty little vase too? A $1.50 thrift store find that I adore.

Patina and Painted Details

This little cuties is covered in patina- that old green and yellow paint is beyond beautiful. This is an antique Venetian secretary cabinet and is hand painted and lacquered – so it has a somewhat glossy sheen. I would guesstimate the age to be from around 1920-1940- but it could be a bit on either side. I am not an expert, and as long as it was not mass produced from a recent time, I was totally on board with it. Especially when I saw it in person.

The patina is beyond. The florals? So incredibly lovely. The shelf and drawer linings? Obsessed.

Inside the door and drop down desk front, there are more painted florals.

Every little piece of this cupboard from the feet to the crown to the sides and everything in between is covered in delicate flowers, swirls and the most lovely green and yellow.

It is in 2 parts and is a dainty size that can tuck nearly anywhere. Though it is about 6’ tall, it is narrow and I tucked it in between the corner windows and the French doors in our bedroom for the moment. I absolutely love the over the top embellishments that Venetian style furniture has and as I mentioned, green and flowers? Get in the truck.

Tips for buying Vintage Venetian Furniture

Check the Finish: There should be crazing or spidery type lines in the finish. True antique finishes will have fine hairline cracks called craquelure embedded within the lacquer layers from centuries of shrinkage. If you have ever seen modern reproductions, you can tell the cracking they apply looks more uniform and artificial – which means it is likely a mid-20th-century piece.

Wear: Look for natural rubbing, chipping and paint loss around handles, the writing flap, and base edges, feet and sides, etc. Authentic wear will show older gesso and/or raw wood underneath that shows through.

Drawer Joints: Look closely at the corners. A hand-cut dovetail joint features uneven, slightly irregular pieces where machine-cut dovetails are perfectly uniform and give you a clue that it is a newer piece.

Hardware, Hinges & Locks: Internal Screws: Look at the hinges to see if they are modern Phillips-head screws or slotted screws. True antiques use irregular slot-head screws or hand-struck pins. Typically for a piece like this one, there will be a small brass box lock inside the doors or drop-front panel with a skeleton key- along with the old finish and wear that goes hand in hand.

Price: Price is so all over the place with these pieces. While some designers and decorators might feel that it is overly embellished and too much- others covet all those details (like I do!) so the value and prices are highly changeable depending on who is selling and who is buying. This piece was $150- after a google image search, google told me the cost varies dramatically based on its age, authenticity, and maker: True 18th/19th Century Antiques: Genuine early Venetian secretaries sell between $6,000 and $16,000+Mid-20th Century Vintage Reproductions: Vintage pieces or signed reproductions usually range from $2,500 to $4,500.Mass-Market Vintage Revival Cabinets: Smaller pieces or later 20th-century variations can sometimes be found starting around $1,000.

Go With Your Heart

All that aside, if you fall for a piece and the Love Love Love rule applies- the age and construction of it are not as important. Unless you are buying for resale or because you only want to collect antique pieces – you can just go with your heart and bring that beauty home with you. If it will make you happy every time you see it- it is an excellent buy no matter what.