Regency Mahogany Double End Sofa with Carving

• 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.
• Backboard - Backboard, as the name indicates, a backboard is a panel that is attached to the back of a piece of furniture, such as a bookcase, cabinet or desk. The backboard serves to support the structure of the piece and can also provide a surface for attaching other features, such as shelves or drawers. In some cases, the backboard may also be visible from the front or sides of the piece, in which case it may be decorated or finished in a specific way to enhance the overall appearance of the piece. For vintage and antique items of furniture, backboards are typically made of wood.
  
  

• Regency Period - The Regency period in English furniture design refers to the period when King George III, was declared unfit to rule in 1811, and his son ruled as proxy as Prince Regent, until 1820, and then, after the death of his father as George IV until his death in 1830. The Regency period was preceded by the Georgian period (George I, George II, and George III: 1714 - 1811), and was followed by the William IV period, which only lasted until 1837 when William IV died as was succeeded by Queen Victoria.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• settees and sofas
  • Regency 30
  • Victorian 206