Featured Baker Co. 1920s bureau - polish the hardware or no?

I am moving on to try to sell another item, this one a Baker Co. reproduction Hepplewhite chest of drawers, probably from the early 1920s. It was in my great grandmother’s house, although I can’t remember which room it was in. The handles, I notice, are completely black. Was that intentional on this style, or are they heavily tarnished? Should I polish them before putting an ad together? We have other similar pieces of furniture (“Georgian style” dark mahogany) with bright brass. Thanks for your thoughts, Fran

 

What a lovely chest ! Personally Id leave them alone. The buyer may prefer them like that.

 

Very nice, a Hepplewhite Serpentine revival chest of drawers, nice figure on drawer fronts. I agree, leave brasses alone as it gives buyer the option to polish or not.

 

Very nice, Fran, love the wood and the serpentine front. As the others said, let the buyer decide.

 

Hi,
Gorgeous chest!!!! leave the handles alone. With that skinny pull out shelf we always called these "bachelor chests".
greg

 

I was ready to say "polish" until I saw the photo. The unpolished pulls are perfect for this chest and I think it would look wrong somehow if you polished them. Gorgeous piece!

 

Wow! I can't stop coming back here to have another look at this chest. What a beauty!

 

Thanks, everyone! I guess I should feel pleased, it’s less work to ready the bureau ! Part of me feels as though I should appreciate this bureau more, you’ve all been so admiring of it. In my mind it has always seemed a bit fussy, compared to some of the other pieces -bureau and desk - that we have from my great grandmother’s house. Georgian style, which my mom currently has in her studio at assisted living. (It’s in the photo on the right.) And how interesting about the moniker “bachelor”! We had a nice tabletop arched mirror on a stand - which I loved and which seemed so “girly” - I would drape scarves and jewelry over the posts ( it unfortunately got broken during a move and thrown out by my father) which I was shocked learned was a “shaving mirror. ” Here’s also some more photos of the bureau, too.





Thanks again for the input, everyone! Fran