19th Century Narwhal Tusk on Carved Mahogany Base, 213cm

Narwhal tusk, an exceptional antique example mounted on a fine…
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narwhal tusk, an exceptional antique example mounted on a fine carved mahogany base, 19th century, 213 cm high

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  • 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.
  • Narwhal - The narwhal is a medium-sized toothed whale that grows to around 4.5 metres, and lives year-round in the Arctic. Narwhals have two teeth, and in males, the more prominent tooth grows into a swordlike, spiral tusk up to 2.7 metres long. The ivory tusk tooth grows right through the narwhal's upper lip. The tusk was used in the early 1900s to make walking sticks, canes and as part of small accessories. The sale of narwhal tusks is now prhibited under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) agreement.

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