Skiefer's Profile

I agree with Parnassus in that you should research the make of it before you do anything drastic. That being said, if it is not by a noted (collected) designer or manufacturer I would go drastic.
I would give it a nautical makeover. The wood appears in the photo to be mahogany. I would sand it down and just put a clear coat on it and replace the handles with a "rope cleat" like you would find on the deck of a sailboat.