Table for Primping and Preening Holds Its Age Well

WHAT IS IT?

This is a veneered-walnut English dressing table, circa 1860-75. The mirrors are original and the central mirror swivels back and forth. Each of the main drawers, except for the lap drawer, has a brass lock.

WHAT’S ITS HISTORY?

Dressing tables were originally called “toilette,” or toilet tables, in 18th century France. The term “toilette” came from the small square linen cloth upon which were placed the different items used in beautifying the hair and face. After the articles were used, they were wrapped in the toilette and put in a chest. By the middle of the 18th century, both French and English toilet or dressing tables in either mahogany or walnut were in general use.

WHAT’S THE LEGEND?

This table was bought by Costa Mesa resident Eleanor Egan in New Orleans in 1976 for $600.

“I fell in love with it. It wasn’t just the look of it, it was also the romance involved. When I look in the mirror, I wonder who else through the ages sat in front of it,” Egan says.

WHY IS IT POPULAR TODAY?

“This is a very nice piece,” says Tom Stansbury of Tom Stansbury Antiques in Newport Beach. “It’s extra special because it is a complete unit, with perfume cabinets on either side. The only problem with it as a collectible is that it is for bedroom use only. Furniture that can be used in any room in a house is usually more desirable.”

WHAT’S IT WORTH TODAY?

Stansbury says a dressing table such as this one would sell for $3,000 to $4,000 because it’s unusual and in such good condition. “Even the fact that it says ‘machine made’ on it doesn’t lessen the value,” he says.

WHERE CAN I FIND IT?

Antique stores that deal in fine English furniture could have similar ones.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE?

There are many books on antique English furniture, including “The Bulfinch Anatomy of Antique Furniture: An Illustrated Guide to Identifying Period, Detail and Design” (Bulfinch Press, 1996, $35).

Books and expert opinions are invaluable because antique furniture is tricky to collect. Alterations can reduce a value of a piece by more than 75%.

* To have an item considered for this column, send information and a photo of it to: What’s It Worth?, Home Design, The Times Orange County, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626.