Hello all - interesting responses!
I don't really see this piece as being faked - the carving is too intricate, and the pedigree is too complete. Although I have never had anything like this before, I have had lots of antiques (most Canadiana), my parents were nuts about them and that has given me somewhat of a "divvy" sense on antiques. Plus, I knew the former owner personally for a couple of years before I bought this, and I really didn't pay a whole lot for it. His whole house (small) is filled with antiques that he brought over from Germany when a big company moved him to Canada so his relocation costs were covered. It's definitely old, but it could certainly be a "zipper" piece (made up of two different pieces), and the door inserts are not originals, but so what? It's definitely nice to look at and has a real presence in a room. It's going into my highrise office downtown, and believe me, it will make the room.
I submitted it for an online consultation through a U.K. Antiques Roadshow expert that offers information for a few bucks. She came back with a few pages, including the following paragraph which I found to be quite interesting:
"Based on the information and images provided, this appears to be a Louis XIV style (William and Mary style in England ) Marot period piece with Roco influence. Double curve cross stretchers and hardware as shown in your photos are typical of the time. Walnut and Oak were widely used for furniture. Locking drawers (many of which required the key to be used as a pull) were prevalent and kept silverware safe. This period saw a general sobering of furniture styles, due to the staid influences of William's Dutch background. His great craftsman Daniel Marot, a Huguenot refugee, interpreted Louis XIV fashions in a quieter Dutch idiom. The Louis XIV style spread through England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and English colonies in America after the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes in 1598 forced Huguenot protestant craftsmen to emigrate to avoid religious persecution. With the patronage of Huguenot artists by William III and Mary II in England, Louis XIV has a strong influence on the William and Mary style. Near the end of Louis XIV's reign, a lighter and simpler regency style became more popular."
:P
HOWEVER, I do agree with the many who have wondered why someone would put such a prominent date on the front of it. I say this just because I have never really seen any furniture pieces (even in museums and chateaus in Europe) that have dates on the front of them. It is possible that this was some kind of a "jubilee" or anniversary date that otherwise had significance. I think that much lies in the initials - A.J., based on demographics, would likely stand for "Anton Janssen" (about as common as John Smith in Germany). However, and back to my previous point, the only initials I could possibly imagine someone putting on the front of a piece of furniture would be initials of royalty or nobility.
Anyway, thanks for the information and I hope the discussion continues!
