Victorian Mahogany Chest with 5 Drawers

• 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.
• Bramah Locks - A patented high security high quality lock, invented in 1784 by Joseph Bramah, and designed a lock mechanism operated by a tubular key, of such complexity and security, that he put it in his shop window and offered a reward of 200 guineas to anyone who could open it. In 1787 Joseph Bramah?s lock patent was granted with 479,001,600 keys required to open it under all its variations.
  
  Genuine Bramah locks are stamped with the makers name on the top face of the lock, and are easily recognisable because the circular brass barrel of the lock, also forms the escutcheon, and protrudes front the front to which it is fitted.
  
  Bramah locks were used by the best furniture makers of the period, such as Gillows, most commonly from about 1820 onwards, the use of the lock being restricted presumably due to their cost. If an item of furniture is fitted with a Bramah lock, it is generally an indication it is a quality piece.
• Victorian Period - The Victorian period of furniture and decorative arts design covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers used and modified many historical styles such as Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, Neoclassical and others, although use of some styles, such as English Rococo and Gothic tended to dominate the furniture manufacture of the period.
  
  The Victorian period was preceded by the Regency and William IV periods, and followed by the Edwardian period, 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.

This item has been included into following indexes:

• Bramah & Co. (Britain) - furniture locks 9
• chests of drawers, material - mahogany 898
• chests of drawers, period - Victorian 1,199