It really makes it more difficult for us when the posts do not contain some suggestion as to what part of the country this might be found. Sometimes we get posts from whole different continents with no hint that they are. Knowing your hardiness zones don't hurt, either. Is it in the wild or in a garden? Does it appear to be climbing or mounding up something? I ask, because I'm not sure what it is, but it looks very like a vine I have called decumaria barbara. The common name is wild hydrangea, and that would be a native of certain parts of the U.S. and not common in the nursery trade.....why I ask it's situation. I can't tell much about the blooms from your picture, a closer shot ......head on......would help.

Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris perhaps? HTH Chris Here is a link that might be useful: Climbing Hydrangea

Almost all spiders can bite but they are not usually aggressive toward humans. If you let him be then he will do the same. I love the writing spiders, we have one that has a nest in one of my potted cannas, we just give her a wide berth.

The age would most likely be whenever your relative's father worked because it is unlikely that an office would contain a vintage piece of furniture. In terms of worth, the reality is that it isn't worth much because it is a piece of brown furniture in a style that is not popular or desirable. That's just the reality The amount you can get for the piece is going to depend on how you dispose of it and where you are located. Some areas probably still have more buyers for more traditional furniture. If you sell to a dealer, you will get less - if you find a consignment shop willing to actually take the piece, you might get a bit more. You can try craigslist but in my experience, craigslist has buyers who are either dealers or people looking for a bargain unless you actually had a collectible desirable piece. If you like the piece, use it because you wouldn't be able to get a replacement piece for less than what the actual fair market value of your piece is. If you want to get rid of it, see who wants it - or donate it. I just got rid of loads of "brown" furniture - my pieces were actually from the 19th Century and the prices I was offered were so low that I decided to donate them.