They were often in a high gloss finish, I find it not that easy to restore with out a lot of work. The finish is flawless and often super smooth thick transparent lacquer. Others seem to have left the wood almost natural with out any particular finish other than wood oil you brush on now and then. This type of finish can shine up very nicely, removing stains and faded areas with just a few brushed on layers of oil. I can't make out what type of finish your cabinet has Patricia, it might look like it's a thin layer of transparent lacquer leaving the structure in the wood still tactile. I have a teak sewing table (to keep all the stuff in) in a very high gloss finish, the transparent lacquer is super smooth like a guitar, filling in any trace of grain in the wood. It leaves a spectacularly silky display of the colours in the teak.