Antique or not?

You probably already know the term ”antique” from either the street shops or the many stores, that sell their items online. Most countries have a tradition for antiquity trades, and the reason is, that mankind has almost always had a great amount of respect for things, that have a history. Historical objects remind us, that we are a part of a greater whole, that the world neither begins nor stops with the individual reality. And for many of us it creates a sense of security to be surrounded by things, that have a longer history than our own.

”Antiquety” usually refers to a collector’s item, that shows a certain degree of craftmanship. Among the world’s most famous antiqueties are the Egyptian statues at the Louvre in Paris and Torso Belvedere, which is exhibited at the Vatican Museums’ Museo Pio-Clementino. Past times’ tables, chairs and even cars can also be characterized as antiquities. Some people spend a great deal of their time and money on acquiring things, that are antique. A desk made by American Goddard & Townsend in the 1760’s was sold for 11.4 million USD in 1989. This example is far from unique.

”Antique” is derived from the latin word ”antiquus”, which means ”old” or ”former”. ”Classical antiquity” covers a historical period, that we associate with the ancient Roman empire and the ancient Greece from the beginning until the year of 500 AD. But objects don’t have to be 1.500 years old to be considered antique. And an object is not necessarily antique, just because it’s old. There have been many misunderstandings concerning the concept ”antique”. Today’s consensus is, that ”antique” refers to an object, that is more than 100 years old. Things, that we today consider common, can by future generations be deemed desirable antiquities. Make sure that you take good care of even the mundane everyday objects in your home.

Yours sincerely,
Kristian Harsted-Simonsen
Item number: 170