Antique Pair of Edwardian Mahogany Marquetry Bedside Chests, 19th Century

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Fancy pair of bedside tables, 19th C.

About the Item

This is a stunning pair of Antique Edwardian English Gonçalo Alves and marquetry bedside chests, circa 1890 in date. They are crafted from solid mahogany which has been veneered in the most beautiful Gonçalo Alves. They feature exquisite boxwood banded decoration to the tops, the banks of four graduated drawers fronts feature fine foliate marquetry decoration with flaming torches and ribbons. Fitted with the original and exquisite brass drop handles that have embossed backplates and raised on plinth bases. Add an elegant touch to your bedroom with this lovely pair. Condition: In excellent condition having been beautifully cleaned and French polished in our workshops, please see photos for confirmation. Dimensions in cm: Height 80 x width 42.5 x depth 60 Dimensions in inches: Height 31.5 x width 16.7 x depth 23.6 Gonçalo Alves is a hardwood (from the Portuguese name, Gonçalo Alves). It is sometimes referred to as tigerwood — a name that underscore the wood’s often dramatic, contrasting color scheme, that some compare to rosewood. While the sapwood is very light in color, the heartwood is a sombre brown, with dark streaks that give it a unique look. The wood’s color deepens with exposure and age and even the plainer-looking wood has a natural luster. Two species are usually listed as sources for gonçalo alves: Astronium fraxinifolium and Astronium graveolens, although other species in the genus may yield similar wood; the amount of striping that is present may vary. In the high tropical forests of Central and South America, well-drained soils furnish nutrients for a variety of dense, durable hardwoods sought for maritime use, heavyconstruction, and furniture. The Spanish began harvesting in Latin American forests in the early 1500s to provide timber for boatbuilding and repair. By the early 1900s, however, steel ships had replaced wooden ones, and the interest in tropical forests by both Europeans and Americans shifted to appearance-grade woods for furniture. Although history fails to provide us with a shopping list of species from either harvest period, it's probable that the wood we know today as goncalo alves has always been sought. That's because goncalo alves, considered one of the most beautiful of tropical woods, has a tough reputation, too. Strong and durable, it's used for construction in its homeland and secondarily for fine furniture. Woodworkers elsewhere treasure the wood for decorative items and veneer accents. Marquetry is decorative artistry where pieces of material (such as wood, mother of pearl, pewter, brass silver or shell) of different colours are inserted into surface wood veneer to form intricate patterns such as scrolls or flowers. The technique of veneered marquetry had its inspiration in 16th century Florence. Marquetry elaborated upon Florentine techniques of inlaying solid marble slabs with designs formed of fitted marbles, jaspers and semi-precious stones. This work, called opere di commessi, has medieval parallels in Central Italian "Cosmati"-work of inlaid marble floors, altars and columns. The technique is known in English as pietra dura, for the "hardstones" used: onyx, jasper, cornelian, lapis lazuli and colored marbles. In Florence, the Chapel of the Medici at San Lorenzo is completely covered in a colored marble facing using this demanding jig-sawn technique. Techniques of wood marquetry were developed in Antwerp and other Flemish centers of luxury cabinet-making during the early 16th century. The craft was imported full-blown to France after the mid-seventeenth century, to create furniture of unprecedented luxury being made at the royal manufactory of the Gobelins, charged with providing furnishings to decorate Versailles and the other royal residences of Louis XIV. Early masters of French marquetry were the Fleming Pierre Golle and his son-in-law, André-Charles Boulle, who founded a dynasty of royal and Parisian cabinet-makers (ébénistes) and gave his name to a technique of marquetry employing shell and brass with pewter in arabesque or intricately foliate designs.

Dimensions:
Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 16.74 in (42.5 cm)Depth: 23.63 in (60 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
Edwardian (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Mahogany,Marquetry
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1890-1899
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1890
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 090101stDibs: LU950611860873

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