Identifying furniture can be tricky. Crediting a maker is often a matter of “style” or “attributed to.” Some makers’ names come to mean entire styles or time periods, like Chippendale for example. Some styles remain popular for centuries or get revived multiple times. Well-made copies of early pieces can even fool museums.

So, when you find a piece of antique furniture with a maker’s mark or signature, like this Louis XVI Revival chair by Alexander Roux, which sold for $1,230 at Brunk Auctions, it’s a rare and fortunate event. The auction’s description noted that Roux, a famous Victorian furniture maker who worked in New York from 1836 to 1881, had signed the chair’s bronze mounts with both “Roux” and “AR.”

This was unusual; Roux did not often sign the mounts on his furniture. Without a maker’s mark, it is sometimes possible to determine a maker based on the piece’s style and provenance. Sometimes, a piece can be matched to an image in a catalog or reference book.

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Q: I posed the following inquiry to Heaven Hill and they referred me to you. I have a half-gallon bottle of Daniel Stewart Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey eight years old on a gold-colored wire swinging stand, probably from the 1960s or 70s. I would say that it is in mint condition. The internet says that Daniel Stewart was produced at Heaven Hill. Does anyone there know anything about this bottle? What is its value? Is it drinkable?

A: Daniel Stewart bourbon was produced by Heaven Hill for export only. Sealed bottles usually sell for about $200 to $300. If your bourbon was stored upright in a cool, dark place, and the cork isn’t falling apart, it is probably still drinkable. Bourbon can go bad if it is exposed to light, heat or oxygen. Sometimes the alcohol can eat away at the cork, which will leave a sour and bitter taste. If you decide to drink your bourbon, smell it first; if it smells moldy, don’t drink it, of course!

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Q: I have three sets of nice cutlery, including one set of 24K gold (Florentine Gold) ware, one set of Rogers 24K Gold Plated and one set of Rogers Mfg. & Co. Original Rogers Silverware. Most are stored in what appears to be the plastic sleeves it came in; one each is enclosed. There is no damage to date. I just read in the AARP magazine to never store silver, no mention of gold ware, in plastic wrap; to use flannel chamois bags instead. I do not have, nor do I know where to find them. (I live in a small village.)

A: As far as we know, the main reason not to store silver in plastic is that, in a hot environment (like an attic during summer), the plastic may melt and stick to the silver. If that happens, the plastic must be professionally removed. Another risk is that plastic can trap moisture in a humid environment. But if you store your cutlery in a cool, dry place, it should be all right. With gold-plated silverware, the greatest risk is that the gold plating could wear off from abrasion, so pieces should be wrapped individually, and you should avoid abrasive cleansers and polishes. If you would prefer to store your silver in something other than plastic, old white cotton socks are a good inexpensive source of safe fabric. You could also wrap them in acid-free tissue paper, also called archival paper, which can be bought from arts and crafts stores or where packing and moving supplies are sold. Anti-tarnish silver cloth may be available from fabric stores, jewelers or silver dealers. Avoid wrapping your cutlery in newspaper, wool fabric or rubber bands; these can damage silver.

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CURRENT PRICES

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Luster, silver, jug, globular, blue and white hunting scene, dogs, forest, cabin, angled handle, c. 1830, 5 inches, $85.

Textile, curtain, arts and crafts, multicolor, printed medallions, galleon ships, flowers, early 1900s, 69 x 46 inches, four pieces, $125.

Pottery-contemporary, bowl, brown and cream glaze, incised interior, two overlapping stylized faces, signed, dated, Edwin & Mary Scheier, 1985, 6 inches, $175.

Toy, horse, folk art, wood, ochre paint, molded composition mane, horse hair tail, black saddle blanket with star tacks, on green platform, red wheels, 19th century, 27 x 26 x 11 inches, $185.

Furniture, tea cart, art nouveau, brass frame, leafy scrolls, dragon top handles, two glass shelves, mirror bottom shelf, caster feet, 39 inches, $305.

Advertising, sign, optician’s, W.C. Bauer, Refracting Optician, white lettering, black sand ground, painted, wood, two-sided, 19th century, 17 x 31 inches, $315.

Glass-Bohemian, goblet, amber, cameo scene, deer in forest, knop stem, splayed foot, c. 1850, 9 inches, $320.

Silver-Persian, box, hinged lid, rectangular, allover engraving, flowers, birds, gold-washed interior, hallmarks, early 1900s, 5 1/2 x 3 inches, $375.

Painting, oil on Masonite, landscape, river, gulls, boat, Florida Highwaymen, Al Black, frame, 21 1/2 x 27 1/2 inches, $585.

Pottery-midcentury, bowl, folded, bright blue glaze, red rim, earthenware, signed, Otto & Gertrude Natzler, c. 1960, 3 1/2 x 6 x 9 inches, $1,015.