Antique Teak Furniture: Sourcing, Restoration and What's Worth It

India's antique teak market is murky. Almost every dealer claims 'Burma teak' but very little actual Burmese teak has been legally exported since 2014. Most pieces in circulation today are Malabar (Kerala/Karnataka) teak, Indonesian teak, or hybrid restorations.

How to read a piece

• Joinery: hand-cut dovetails with slight irregularities point to pre-1960 craftsmanship. Machine-perfect joinery is a modern reproduction.
• Patina: real age shows uneven oxidation around handles, edges and stress points. A uniform 'antique' stain that's the same colour everywhere is a quick stain job.
• Hardware: original brass handles develop a soft black-green patina. Polished bright brass means recently replaced.
• Wood grain on the underside: turn the piece over. Old teak has a deep golden-brown grain. Plywood or veneer on the underside is a red flag for a restored fake.

• Lutyens Delhi: Anglo-Indian colonial-era pieces (1900-1947). Expect to pay a premium.
• Chettinad (Tamil Nadu): massive teak pillars, doors and almirahs from mansion estates.
• Kerala (Cochin / Mattancherry): Portuguese-influenced rosewood and teak.
• Punjab: post-Partition restored furniture; mixed quality, often heavily reworked.

What's worth it

Documented Lutyens-era teak almirahs, Chettinad teak pillars and any teak piece with a maker's mark or estate provenance command 3-5x premiums. Generic 'antique-style' new builds rarely hold value past five years.