Identification of antique buffet

[evanseahorse]

Hi,
I have an old buffet that I inherited. I'm trying to identify the manufacturer and value. The only marks I found said what looks like 1630 MAHY. Any help or leads on how to obtain this information is appreciated.



Thanks, Evan

 

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[Red-Coat]

Welcome to Tnet

I believe what you have is a c1950s reproduction, styled after the work of Duncan Phyfe. Phyfe was one of the leading American cabinetmakers in the first half of the 19th Century, producing his own interpretations of fashionable 18th/19th Century European furniture. His designs were widely copied in a revival of the styles in the 1940s and 1950s.

The impressed marks on your buffet are typical of those used by the Drexel Furniture Company of North Carolina. The ‘MAHY’ mark is shorthand for ‘Mahogany’ (finish). Drexel was founded in 1903, originally producing only in American oak but by the 1940s (and especially from 1957 when they acquired the Morganton Furniture Company) they were producing huge quantities of living room, dining room and bedroom furniture… much of it in mahogany finish heritage styles.

The 1957 catalogue has 1,200 offerings, supplied to 2,500 retailers throughout the country. With a bit of Googling you will likely be able to track the style number '1630'.

 

[evanseahorse]

Thank you so much for the help. The information is immensely helpful.

Do you know if the Drexel catalogs are available online, or if I should see about finding original catalogs somewhere. Searching for them didn't seem to help, but I will keep looking. At least I know what I am looking for.

 

[Red-Coat]

I don't think you'll find much in the way of complete Drexel catalogues on the net. Just occasional extracts that people have posted. Best I can say is that the mark looks like Drexel but they were not the only company making furniture like this in the post-war period... just the most prolific. You should also check for any other marks that might be present... on the bottom of the drawers and inside the carcass too.