Antique Pair of Italian Flame Mahogany Bedside Chests Cabinets, 19th Century

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Antique Pair of Italian Flame Mahogany Bedside Chests Cabinets, 19th Century

About the Item

This is a stunning pair of Antique Italian flame mahogany bedside chests, circa 1870 in date. They are crafted from flame mahogany which has been crossbanded in beautiful Gonçalo Alves with boxwood line inlaid decoration. They each have a bank of three drawers all fitted with exquisite brass drop handles that have embossed backplates and each raised on four square tapering legs. 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 73 x width 47 x depth 35 Dimensions in inches: Height 28.7 x width 18.5 x depth 13.8 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. Mahogany is probably one of the largest ‘families’ of hardwood, having many different varieties within its own species. Mahogany has been used for centuries in ship building, house building, furniture making etc and is the core structure of just about every 19th century vanity box, dressing case or jewellery box. It became more of a Victorian trend to dress Mahogany with these decorative veneers, such as Rosewood, Kingwood, Burr Walnut and Coromandel, so that the actual Mahogany was almost hidden from view. Mahogany itself is a rich reddish brown wood that can range from being plain in appearance to something that is so vibrant, figured and almost three dimensional in effect. Although mahogany was most often used in its solid form, it also provided some beautifully figured varieties of veneer like ‘Flame’ Mahogany and ‘Fiddleback’ Mahogany (named after its preferred use in the manufacture of fine musical instruments). Cuban mahogany was so sought after, that by the late 1850's, this particular variety became all but extinct.

Dimensions:
Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 18.51 in (47 cm)Depth: 13.78 in (35 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Materials and Techniques:
Mahogany
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1870-1879
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1870
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 093191stDibs: LU950616339982