Furniture Craftsmanship is Timeless  

by Garnet Bailey

Since we had nothing better to do, we wandered into the auction. The crowd was not very large and appeared to consist largely of the elite and the wealthy. "The pieces being sold here must be period pieces" we concluded and mentally prepared ourselves, to the experience of merely touching the exquisitely designed furniture of yesteryears. We had no intention of buying anything or even remotely considering anything for purchase. So with joyous expectation, we began to wend our way through the furniture on display.

A Queen Anne bedstead, a lovely cherry cabinet to hold silver, an antique sofa set or a graceful table held our attention. We touched the wood and exclaimed over its beauty. We dwelt lovingly on imaginary settings for each piece and reveled in the image. Prices did not matter to us. We were not going to buy and that gave us the freedom to admire the artistry of the pieces without concern about economics of daily living. For the duration of the visit to the auction we pretended to be Royalty, selecting furniture for our imaginary palace with unlimited imaginary funds. However, that was our undoing! We did not expect to see or even find the beautiful book rack that would steal our hearts and leave us weak with longing!

There it stood, atop an antique table, beckoning us and mocking our role-play. Our feet seemed to drag our mesmerized bodies towards it. We could only stand and stare at the piece and at each other in mute wonder. How ever did this wonderful bookrack of our dreams come into this auction room? It was surely not an antique? It certainly had the appearance of one! It was just 17" in length. It would accommodate with ease the heavy books that we had scattered all over our office room. The depth and height were just right. It would add beauty and grace to the paneled décor of the room and create the necessary ambiance. "Oh, if only we could afford to have this piece!" we mused as we moved towards it.

Close up the bookrack was even more beautiful. The piece was made out of premium grade hardwood from the slow growing forests of Upper Midwest States. The distinctive colors and exquisite patterns and highly wearable grain densities proclaimed the origin of the material. The traditional hand rubbed finish was flawless. We examined it from different angles--reverently going round the table again and again. We could just see the insignia of the craftsman from where we stood. It was obviously a collector's piece--embellished with a die-struck from a fine jewelers brass and plated in 24 carat gold. We were sure that the artist who lovingly created this piece must have lived in remote times. We reserved the treat of discovering his name to the end. After almost an hour of admiring the piece, we swooped in to discover the name of the artist and the cost of the piece.

Surprise! The piece had been created by SuccessImage, from a mere 120 years of hardwood craftsmanship experience. However, the artistry seemed to rival the best antique craftsmanship that had been displayed on the floor! It was clear that the auctioneers considered the piece on par with the valuable pieces that were being sold that day.

We were very impressed and could see that the piece reflected the craftsman's commitment to the art and promoter's concern for the functional needs of the customer. The thoughtfulness in design was reflected in every curve and grain of the piece. The size would also fit snuggly on to a modern desktop, credenza or shelving unit or blend completely with antiques. As an added bonus, it could also double up as an elegant reading stand (the angle was just right for the purpose)!

We came down from our dream world role-play with a thud and became serious bidders at that auction. Today we are proud owners of a bookrack that we would love to pass on down the generations as a family heirloom!

About the Author

SuccessImage provides genuine hardwood desk and office accessories hand built and hand finished for a professional look and image.