Auction

www.greatamericanauction.com lots of interesting items this sale

They seem pretty loosey goosey with their furniture attributions. Herter Bros, Thomas Brooks, Alexander Roux, etc - most don't even use the word "attributed" or anything to acknowledge any doubt as if they are certain. Some pieces seem pretty pedestrian.

The listings seem to show some lack of expertise,(way too many "Herter" attributions) but the bright side of this is that some famous makers' pieces may sail through the sale without being recognized and thus realize bargain values. Some of their maker attributions are very suspect such as lot 100 labeled as a "c.1860 R.J. Horner" desk. I believe R.J. Horner entered the marketplace in 1886 but maybe this is a different Horner with the same initials. Some of the oriental pieces were probably originated from China and shipped here by container load. I've seen some very good Chinese reproduction "antiques" that required a careful examination to determine they were actually reproductions but I'll assume these are the real things. One thing's for sure, they do get a very eclectic mix of pieces. It would seem to be a good resource for high-end decorators looking for a particular room theme piece.

Yeah Horner didn't exist as a company until 1886 as I mention on my bio page for him here.

I wonder if there is a tag on it that bears the Horner name.  If so, it is probably one of the many pieces that Horner imported vs. manufactured.