Casters attach to household furniture for easy cleaning and rearrangement. But apart from this, do you know that beaver wheels help antique collectors to estimate the age of furniture? By simply examining the type and characteristics of beavers, experts can identify the time range in which they were made. This allows antique dealers and collectors to price furniture appropriately.
However, even non-experts like you can also date furniture using this same method. This article will show you how to do it. Just follow the simple instructions listed below:
Step 1 – Find a Leather Rolling Pin or Bowl
The first types of caster wheels are made of leather rollers or bowls. These beavers joined the furniture industry in the early 1700s during the time of Queen Anne.
Step 2: Inspect if the wheel is made of wood
During the great Georgian period (1720 to 1760), furniture makers began making furniture on wooden wheels. The wheels are attached to an iron frame that is mounted at the feet of the furniture.
Step 3: Examine if the wheels are made of cast iron
For nearly a decade after the Georgian period, manufacturers began producing beaver furniture made of cast iron. Although wooden wheels are still made, most surviving furniture made during this era that is available in antique stores today has cast iron wheels instead of wood.
Step 4 – Check if the wheel is made of solid brass
The furniture may still indicate that it was made during the Georgian period; however, if they have solid brass caster wheels, it means they were made between 1780 and 1790. The entire Georgian period (from 1750 to 1830) is actually called the “Golden Age of Furniture” because it is during this era that the Most furniture innovation was presented to the public.
Step 5 – See if the wheel is made of rubber or polyurethane
These castor wheels are made in modern times. So the casters on the old furniture you are looking at may have already been replaced.
Warnings and tips
Remember that beavers are easily replaceable. This means that you shouldn’t base your assessment of the furniture’s age on casters alone, as casters may only be replaced to give the impression that the furniture is as old as it is. If you’re not sure or don’t trust your dealer, you might as well get a second or third opinion from someone you think is trustworthy. Don’t forget that the antiques industry is full of scammers and opportunists who are just waiting for you to fall for their traps.