Should I buy an antique or a reproduction?

In a recent article in Country Life Huon Mallalieu extolled the enjoyment of searching out an antique rather than simply filling the spot with a reproduction with a suitable 'look'.

As Mallalieu notes nothing can beat an antique for bringing 'out the beauty and splendour of bygone eras'. A good antique will have colour and patination which are testament to the passing of the centuries and the use of their owners through out this period. An antique can reflect the politics of its owner in its design or represent changes in social history, who uses a firescreen these days? A reproduction might have the right measurements but it will never be able to evoke our enduring fascination with the past.

Shopping for antiques should be fun. That is why we always advise that you should buy something because you like it not just because it fits the space.

Footnotes

'Art Market' by Huon Mallalieu Country Life, April 15 2009 pg. 86