Apparently it dates back to the Egyptians. You could have Cleopatra's dresser!! It was commonly used in the 18th & 19th centuries and a antique furniture dealer could likely tell the date simply by the technique used in the veneer. Do you know the vood on the veneer? The Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association (HPVA) (Yes. There is a veneer association.) records that it was the piano manufactures who first began using plywood in 1830.
Thank you, I'll have to take a picture of it and post it,it's kind of a Tiger patterned wood veneer,it's dovetail construction.I received it fully disassembled,my friends took it apart to put it in their attic,now I get to put it back together again,it goes together rather easilky and without glue.
back in the old days veneer was not viewed as a bad thing. it's all hand carved and not machine made. and just a tad thicker.. not necessarily bad to have it. i would also love to see the dresser.
That looks like some quarter sawn oak. Quarter sawn is where the growth rings lie perpendicular to the boards face...it highlights the woods "rays".
this is a vanity I built using Australian Lacewood...it has lots of "ray" figure.
The Second pic is a drop front desk I restored. It dates back to the 1860's or so and has some veneer work on the desk front as well as the legs. The drawer bodies are made from solid mahogany.
looking good...as far as value check with some local antique dealers. In most cases they can give you a value. Keep in mind that there are 2 version of value...retail...and insurance value.
Looks like Empire style with the curved top drawers and the lion paws. Search online for lion paw dressers- if you check ebay, make sure you look at ended auctions to see what pieces have actually sold for, not just what people are asking.
this is a vanity I built using Australian Lacewood...it has lots of "ray" figure.
The Second pic is a drop front desk I restored. It dates back to the 1860's or so and has some veneer work on the desk front as well as the legs. The drawer bodies are made from solid mahogany.