Antique cupboard is in perfect, original condition By Anita Stratos Photo by Farrah Maffai It can be difficult to track the life of an antique — with more than 100 years behind it, the piece probably has been in multiple homes and shops as it passed through the generations. Occasionally you’ll be lucky enough to find one that has remained in one family its whole life, valued and treated with the care its craftsmanship deserves. This is the case with a corner cupboard at Red Barn Antiques in New Egypt, but what makes this cupboard even more special is that the family that cared for it all those decades was none other than the descendants of the man who created it. The turn of the century saw a good number of wood carvers whose furniture was in such demand that they became household names, and eventually their work became mass produced. But of equal quality were some smaller craftsmen who created furnishings for well-to-do homes on a custom basis, as was the case with a Philadelphia carver by the last name of Mains. According to Jeffrey Lipman, owner of Red Barn Antiques, Mains’ wood carvings are distinguished by the cupid heads he carved into each piece, whether it was a large item or a valance above a window. Although other furniture makers of that time period may have used a cherub head in their designs, Mains’ cupid heads were distinctive. "The wings of Mains’ cupids were always level with the heads, and the cupids were carved under a door or other feature," Lipman explained. "Other makers typically placed cherubs at the top of their pieces." Lipman found this wonderful mahogany cupboard in the Atlantic City inlet home of one of Mains’ descendants, which was one of the first buildings in the country to be made of poured concrete. When Lipman bought the architectural antiques from the home, he discovered one room that was completely mahogany paneled with Mains’ signature cupid heads carved in strategic locations around the room and, of course, on all of the furniture. Mains never signed the furniture he crafted, but Lipman says Mains is well known in Philadelphia for producing some of the best-made Victorian furniture and, therefore, Philadelphians familiar with antiques can easily identify his work. The hand-carved corner cupboard, which Lipman estimates was made between 1890 and 1910, is a wonderful representation of Mains’ work and is in excellent condition. Lipman says every bit of it is 100 percent original, including its beveled glass, working lock, and both shelves which are grooved to fit the shape of the cupboard. "Antiques like this rarely have intact returns supporting the spindles, but these are there and in great shape," Lipman said. The corner cupboard stands a little over 6 feet tall and the base molding on either side ends a bit shy of the cup­board’s back edge. Lipman says this was a common practice among furniture craftsmen of the Victorian era to allow for the prominent wall base moldings into which the cupboard would have to fit. Corner cupboards of this quality would have been ordered by wealthy clients, who would most likely have used them for curio display cases in living rooms or din­ing rooms. Red Barn Antiques carries a large amount of museum-quality antique furni­ture as well as smaller pieces and jew­elry. Lipman, along with his wife Judith and his partner Dan Gerber, run an an­niversary sale on the first Sunday of ev­ery March, offering customers 20 percent off merchandise. Red Barn is lo­cated at 56 Maple Ave., New Egypt; you can visit the Web site at www.red-barn-an­tiques.com or call the store at (609) 758-9152.