A brass Cary type microscope, 19th century, the rectangular pillar with rack focusing, the barrel tilting within 90 degrees, the whole tilting on compass joint fixed in one corner of the original velvet lined mahogany box with accessories including four bone slides with original specimens, the box 4.5 x 20 x 13 cm. Provenance: Purchased from Sotheby's London, Scientific Instruments and Watches, lot 95, 28th January 1977
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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.
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