Surface finish is the protective and decorative coating or treatment applied to the surface of furniture, woodwork, metal or other materials. On antique furniture it includes oil, wax, shellac-based French polish, varnish, lacquer, paint and gilding, each giving a different appearance, depth of colour and degree of protection.
Early English oak furniture was typically finished with oil and wax, while the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw spirit varnishes and polished surfaces on walnut and mahogany. French polishing, which builds a glossy finish from many thin layers of shellac, became fashionable in Britain in the early nineteenth century and was widely used on Victorian furniture. Over time, finishes and the timber beneath them mellow and develop patina, the soft sheen, colour and fine wear that collectors value as evidence of age and originality. Stripping or heavily refinishing an antique can greatly reduce its value, so conservators favour cleaning, consolidating and reviving existing finishes wherever possible. Buyers should look for even, natural colour, worn areas consistent with use and the absence of the flat, uniform look of modern sprayed lacquer, which can betray a later restoration.
