Serpentine Mahogany Chest of Drawers
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin. - Edwardian - The Edwardian period of English furniture and decorative arts design is named for Edward VII (1841 ? 1910) who was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India for the brief period from 1901 until his death in 1910. It follows the Victorian period, in turn was followed by the Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. In Australia, designs of this period are also known as being in the Federation style.
- Serpentine - Resembling a serpent, in the form of an elongated 'S'. A serpentine front is similar to a bow front, except that the curve is shallow at each end, swelling towards the middle. The term presumably derives from its similarity to a moving snake or serpent. Serpentine fronts are usually veneered, with the carcase either being cut and shaped from a solid piece of timber, or built in the 'brick' method.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
William IV mahogany bowfront chest of drawers, circa 1835, 114 cm high, 126.5 cm long, 58.5 cm deep
A Victorian mahogany veneer chest of five drawers with bone inlay keyholes 105 x 98 x 48 cm
A Victorian mahogany chest of drawers. second half 19th century, the top with a stepped edge above two half width drawers and three full width drawers of graduating depth, all with circular pressed brass backplates and laurel garland pull handles, with rou
A Georgian mahogany chest on stand, later 18th century, in warm mellow tones with two small and three long drawers of graduating depth to an extended base with a further drawer, with cockbeading, reeded canted corners and swing brass handles and ogee brack