Thread: Any clues what metal this could be? - Antique table -

Hi there! I am a bit confused atm and do not even know if this is the right forum to ask my questions. However it seems most appropriate in comparison with the other ones.
Recently I got my hands on some antiques, which were apparently given to a befriended old couple by "a church".
One of the items is a very heavy glass table with claw feet. I tried to do some research and could only find one equal table, which has brass feet (and other table feet with an equal look).
Still I am not sure if the metal is the same for this table?! Could it be that the brass has just "aged" and heavily tarnished over time?
I do not want to make any attempt in trying to restore the metal, if I am not 100% sure what exactly it is?!

Maybe someone could give me some input and solve the mystery.
I have attached some pictured of the table!

Welcome to the forum

I suspect that the legs are bronze rather than brass.

Michael

Test with a magnet. It could be, but unlikely, plated steel

Very difficult to say from a photo my guess would be Pewter, is it a soft metal, if it is Pewter be aware "Old Pewter" contains Lead so appropriate PPE should be be employed

Originally Posted by Michael G

Welcome to the forum

I suspect that the legs are bronze rather than brass.

Michael

I agree ! A lot of this sort of stuff came out of India/Pakistan in the late 70's early 80's. One way to get an idea of what the metal is, is to drill a small hole in the underside of one of the feet so that you can see the metal chips.

If you are in Sydney why not take the table to an antique furniture seller?

These sort of people are the experts and will have a far better idea than most of us.

Grahame

Originally Posted by JayJayBB

...Recently I got my hands on some antiques...

Worth noting too that the glass (particularly in the 5th photo) is quite flat, not what I would expect in old glass; I'm not even sure a design like that would be attempted with older glass. I think that rather than being an antique it is more likely to be an 'antique style' table.
If those legs are bronze by the way, that is what bronze looks like if not regularly polished (think bronze statues in parks etc) so I would not be looking to remove that patina unless you need another weekly chore.

Michael

Originally Posted by Michael G

Worth noting too that the glass (particularly in the 5th photo) is quite flat, not what I would expect in old glass; I'm not even sure a design like that would be attempted with older glass. I think that rather than being an antique it is more likely to be an 'antique style' table.

Agree. A glass top that size would for safety reasons be made of tempered glass and although the basic process for making small pieces of tempered glass has been known for centuries (prince Rupert's drops) it's only been since just before the middle of the last century that flat pieces the size of that table top have become available.

I too agree that it isn’t an antique, but more likely late 70’s to late 80’s. The metal is most likely bronze. A softer material would deform under the considerable weight of the glass and the leverage.

As Michael says, don’t mess with the patina. That’s almost halfway to being old enough to look good.

I am guessing a Indian made table in the Chipendale style.