Toronto - There are four criteria for evaluating the authenticity of an antique. The first consideration should be design and style.

    Does a piece have the style characteristics of the 17th, 18th or 19th centuries? Add to that whether the style period had a later revival that could be confused with the original period.

     If the piece is a later reproduction, does any part of it appear to be uncharacteristic? Craftsmen will often include almost unconsciously, stylistic elements of the period they are working in when copying a piece.

     The second criteria in evaluating a piece is construction. Methods of construction are associated with specific historical periods. All of these methods can be found in modern hand-made furniture, but almost never in mass produced furniture -not even in expensive furniture. It is possible for a person to copy a historic style using all the correct methods of construction. However, it is unlikely that he will not incorporate some modern labour saving devices.

     The third criteria to be applied is that of age, wear and type of hardware properly associated with the period of construction.

    This type of hardware includes the nails, brasses, pulls and hinges employed in a piece of furniture.

    When you incorporate in your examination the telltale signs of age, wear and type of hardware added to the style and construction, you have the basic method of antique authentication.

     This is the basic method, but no method is foolproof. Museums have been fooled and experts have been fooled but there are few expert fakers of this quality.      The cost of their forgery limits it to a very small part of the antique market. The constant and practiced use of authentication will result in the detection of most forgeries.

    The fourth and last criteria is a sixth sense which comes from years of experience in dealing with antiques. This intuition, or whatever you choose to call it, is a sense that tells you when a piece meets the style, construction and wear tests, but still leaves you with the uneasy feeling that something is wrong, if this is the case, then perhaps it is best to decide against it.

     The application of all or any of these criteria must be directed by logic and common sense.

    Common sense is the best tool in the arsenal of the antique collector. This is especially true with regard to questions of age and wear. If there is an upholstered armchair in the living room, the most likely part to wear-out first, is the forward part of the arm where people rest their hand, and then proceed to rub and fidget with that area as they sit there, usually unconscious of what they are doing.

    If the chair is wooden and has arms, and is over 100 years old, the arms will he worn satin smooth by friction and hand oils. If they are wooden kitchen chairs with leg stretchers, the front stretcher will be worn in the center from feet resting on it. If you take the drawers out of an old chest of drawers and examine the bottom of the drawers, you will see wear grooves from constant use.

    Of course, many people rely on the reputation and expertise of a reputable antique dealer when making a purchase. This is not a bad idea if you are not that experienced and unsure of your ability, particularly when it comes to a major investment - even if it appears to be just a 5 cent cigar sign...