A Bendigo pottery urn, with cream and taupe mottled glazed…

 

patination / patina. In broad terms, patination refers to the exterior surface appearance of the timber, the effect of fading caused by exposure to sunlight and air over the course of a century or more, changing the piece to a soft, mellow colour. As patina is very difficult to replicate, it is one of the most important guides to determining the age of furniture. Patina is also the term applied to the bloom or film found on old bronzes due to oxidisation.

The buyers premium is an additional percentage charge on the hammer price of the item, imposed by the auction house to cover administrative costs. The buyers premium percentage varies between auction houses, with a range of 12.5% to 22%.