Now comes the ‘piece de resistance’! A crudely made shelf unit is fitted on top of the transformed dresser complete with rounded end sections and stinkwood pegs. The whole contrivance is then stained in a light overall colour and finished with one of the many ‘antique sealants’ which are available today, and another ‘old Cape koskas’ comes to market. These ‘mixed marriages’ are offered at prices ranging from R300 to R900 plus tax.

The type of work outlined above does not produce a convincing antique, but a reasonable facsimile which would only require a cursory glance from anyone with even an elementary knowledge of early Cape furniture to recognise it immediately for what it is. This type of deception is directed at an unsophisticated sector of the market and is proving very lucrative. The work does not require a great deal of skill and many amateurs are entering an already overcrowded profession.

A highly respected cabinetmaker in Cape Town related this tale which will either amuse or insense, depending on one’s attitude to antique fakes. When he was in a showroom up country, he spotted a well restored Jongmanskas nestling discreetly in a corner. It was an attractive piece of furniture, but he felt instinctively something was wrong with it. It had two largish doors and two neat drawers at the base. The shape was typical of an early Cape piece. After studying it carefully for several moments he asked his daughter to open one of the doors and look in the bottom left hand corner to see if there was an incised mark. There was! It was an inverted ‘U’, pierced with an arrow – The Union Government stamp – now he knew! This was one of several cabinets ordered by a government department in 1964. They were built with a strong pine frame and “masonite” door panels, but the drawers were on top whey they were originally constructed. The whole structure had been turned upside down. The ‘masonite’ had been replaced with yellowwood and stinkwood facings had been fitted to the drawers. The entire framework had been treated in the same manner as the kitchen dresser and the sales ticket showed a price of R840,00. Sensing his interest, the salesman approached. He was asked how old the cabinet was. ‘Circa 1885′, he purred.

Antique Collection

My friend, normally a diffident man, could not contain himself. This was too much. He explained exactly what the item was in no uncertain terms, for by this time he had located another government mark. The manager arrived on the scene. He listened to the story, but his impassive face showed no sign of conviction. He did, however, promise to have the matter investigated and was forthcoming with the information that his firm had purchased the unit in good faith at a house sale, there the matter rested.

It would be interesting to know where the ‘Jongmanskas’ ended up, but this alas will probably remain one of life’s little mysteries.

The true enthusiast of old country furniture is seeking pieces made at the beginning of the 19th century or earlier. The farmer’s tools were primitive and on his furniture there would be no evidence of machine saw marks, high speed drill holes, modern bright steel nails or machine made screw nails. To identify and purchase an old Cape piece of genuine age and high quality is an absolute joy with its simple line and form. It is interesting to note how the early craftsman used the lovely qualities of the stinkwood, yellowwood and pine, and that look of gentle aging produced by years of loving care and the prodigious use of turpentine and beeswax. The edges are softly contoured by the passage of time which has also patinated the timbers to warm glowing colours. Ownership of such a piece can create a sense of bond with the craftsman who produced it all those years ago and a history of ones own heritage is achieved.

Extensive use of old floor and ceiling boards is made by the copyists. Ceiling boards can be detected by the long straight grooves made by a modern spindle cutting machine. If one suspects the use of floor boards (these usually form the back of a spurious item), look for the nail holes where they were originally fastened to the joists. They are found to be in a regular pattern — every 45 cm.

Many tales abound of dealers who travel deep into the country and pick up for a song items such as important Regency Cape furniture, contemporary Tulbagh chairs etc.

This is rarely true, but in the townships and the labourers’ cottages in rural areas, there is still an abundance of crudely made furniture from the 1930’s and 40’s. These are ideal subjects for transformation to suit the present market.

It is not unknown for carpenters to head for the bush, their vans loaded with formica and melamine kitchen units and exchange these for what appears to be much less desirable items. It seems a very good deal to the owners, as their present furniture is usually covered in thick coats of paint and look anything but attractive.

Many furniture shops around the country are displaying very high quality reproduction Cape furniture in yellow- wood and stinkwood and the craftmanship is superb. They are of course brand new. If your taste lies in this direction, these are well worth considering — much better than being landed with a worthless fake, which will serve as a monument to our gullibility for future generations of antique lovers.

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