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Could anyone tell me what the stamp on my old table means - it reads "A-2D European Labour Only"? I bought the table in 1992 from a deceased estate in Brisbane and advice from a restorer about 11 years ago is that it is Queensland Maple but I've never noticed the stamp before.
Hi JH and welcome to the forum,
there's been a few books and articles on this lately but basically it refers to a time in Australia when when LOCAL Chinese labour was producing very good furniture (and toys, shoes and clothes) and threatening the more traditional businesses staffed with 'European' labour. As they were all using the same timber and tools (largely), the competitive advantage of the Chinese was that they worked harder and longer and needed less to live on! The Chinese had arrived in Australia mostly in the gold rushes that started in the first half of the 19th Century but as the gold progressively petered out, they moved into especially retail, market gardens and light manufacturing. As the threat got greater there were a number of 'official' sanctions and, more worryingly unofficial actions including riots and attacks on some businesses.
One of the official actions was the requirement that furniture be marked with the source of labour and yours is one of those pieces. I don't know about A2D, it could refer to the official sanction or more likely to the name of the manufacturer. either way, someone more knowledgeable than I will be able to confirm it for you and hence date your piece.
If you are visiting Sydney before (l think) November, there is an excellent exhibition currently in the Museum of Sydney called 'Celestial City' which is about this and shows just how far back the Chinese have been working in Australia. There were even Chinese restaurants in regional Australian town in the 1880's!
fletty
Hi fletty. Thanks very much for the information. I'll do more research to see when the stamping ceased, to give me an idea of build date. JHM.
doctor Google has advised that the stamping process STARTED in 1884 in Victoria ....so there's one end of the range and it was still current in 1901 ........
fletty