Antique

Antique, object that has acquired value through a combination of age, rarity, craft, and historic interest. Generally, the term applies to objects over 100 years old, though by the 1980s even those of the 1890s and early 1900s, particularly in the art nouveau style, were becoming sought-after. The U.S. 1939 Tariff Act defined antiques as “artistic antiquities” made before 1830. Certain categories of objects are favorites, notably furniture, china, rugs, and other useful and decorative articles.