Black lacquer mother of pearl vanity/dresser

[Jessbrax10]

So not exactly sure what to call this or value so im trying to get some help. Thanks everyone

 

[DizzyDigger]

Jessica, from what I understand, it's pretty hard to value an item of furniture
without actually being hands-on.

Can you tell us it's age, or where it was made?

 

[Jessbrax10]

I have no info.

 

[Red-Coat]

I have no info.

Maybe so... but you might be able to gather some info. That dresser could be very old (although it doesn't look so), antique/vintage, or a modern 20th Century repro (more likely). If it's a modern repro it may not even be Chinese-made.

Have you examined it for any marks? Anything on the bottoms of the drawers? Labels or other marks? Try swopping the left and right hand drawers to see if they are made with sufficient precision that they are interchangeable. Do the drawers have quadrant dust beading around the interior or just right-angled joints? What kind of corner joints do the drawers have? What about the hinges on the mirror doors? Solid brass or plated? Any maker marks? What kind of screw heads (or nails)? What about the mirror itself? Bevelled edges or plain/flat? Flawless or small imperfections in the glass? Looks like it has a glass top too. That may not be original, but same questions apply. How much of the decoration is inlaid and how much is painted? Are the painted portions actually painted or printed transfers that have been over-lacquered?

Those are the kinds of things I would want to know before putting a tentative value on it. If it's a modern repro but of decent quality it's the kind of thing that might have sold for say $700-800 new, but won't realise that as a second-hand item. Maybe half that. As an antique, it could be worth rather more, but only to the right buyer. Not everyone's going to have a suitable location for that in their home.

 

[SusanMN]

Another thing to look at to determine repro vs older, are the type of screws holding the drawer pulls on. If they are philips head screws it’s a newer piece. Single groove, older.