8 Woods Commonly Found in British Antique Furniture
Together with the style and construction of antique furniture, the wood used make up the three most important markers when attempting to identify and attribute a piece.
Since the 17th century many different woods can be observed in British antique furniture. Many are not even British at all but rather originate from far flung reaches of the globe. Over 30 different identifiable kinds of woods were used, however this short article will only cover 8 of those that are most often encountered.
Ash – Fraxinus excelsior
An indigenous hardwood to the British Isles with a whitish-grey colour and always found in the solid, instead of veneer. It was mostly used for inexpensive country furniture and drawer liners, with its height of popularity between 1750 to 1850. It can be nicely figured with a straight grain but is vulnerable to woodworm.
Coromandel – Diospyros melanoxylon
Also known as calamander, coromandel is an exotic wood from India and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). The name comes from the Coromandel Coast in India from where it was shipped. A dense, slow growing hardwood like ebony with rich yellow and black stripes it is sometimes compared to zebra wood. Tragically it has been logged to extinction over the past three hundred years due to the voracious demands of the colonising West. Even in the heyday of its use it was considered extremely expensive so pieces are not often found entirely constructed of it. Rather it was more often used for crossbanding and smaller pieces like veneered boxes in the late 18th and 19th centuries.
Elm – Ulmus procera
Similar in appearance to oak, but less dense, and is another favourite of woodworm. It was abundant in England until the advent of Dutch elm disease in the early 20th century. Pale brown, sometimes with a reddish tint, and with a distinctive blackish figuring when richly patinated. It was used extensively for country furniture, including the seats of Windsor chairs, in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Mahogany – Swietenia
A ubiquitous wood found in antique British furniture, which again, is not British at all. Earliest records of it been used in English furniture are from around 1720. Known then as Cuban or Spanish mahogany that was logged from Jamaica, San Domingo, Cuba and Puerto Rico it is very dark with rich, heavy figuring. Unfortunately being a dense and slow growing wood it was all but wiped out by the second half of the 18th century making it commercially unviable. Another mahogany called Honduran mahogany, originally known as baywood, took its place. Faster growing but with a less distinct grain and lighter colour it was to become one of the most popular woods used in all types of furniture in the second half of the 18th century and beyond. It was used both in solid and veneer.
Oak – Quercus
Another slow growing wood with a tree taking 150 to 200 years to reach maturity. The genus Quercus (oak) contains over 500 species, many that are both indigenous to Britain as well as being imported. It was the main timber of English furniture until the late 17th century. It is hard and pale in colour with distinctive medullary rays but darkens to a deep rich brown that comes with polishing and age. It was used extensively for country and town furniture throughout. It is a strong durable wood used mostly in the solid, that is much better at resisting woodworm than elm.
Rosewood – Dalbergia nigra
Used from as early as the 16th century but is more commonly found in the Regency period, both in solid and veneer. Two types are found – Indian rosewood and Brazilian rosewood. The latter being more favoured in veneer form in the 19th century but is now nearing extinction after just 300 years of consumptive logging. Its name is derived from the scent it releases when freshly cut. It is a richly coloured reddish-brown timber with distinctive black streaks, but can fade back to a greyer colour with age while still containing its dark figuring.
Satinwood – Chloroxylon swietania/Xanthoxylun flavium
Initially imported from the West Indies from the mid 18th century and then later from the East Indies into the 19th century. It is a yellowish close grained wood with a rich, buttery shimmer like satin when polished. It was popular during the Sheraton period from the late 18th/early 19th centuries and can often be found with painted embellishments in the form of bouquets of flowers and garlands of trailing foliage. Usually found in veneer form it also had a revival in the Edwardian era of the early 20th century.
Walnut – Juglans regia/Juglans nigra
Another indigenous wood used in Britain and Europe that is golden brown with dark figuring. Used extensively in the 16th/17th centuries, it was also cut in burr and oyster form. It is excellent for carving but prone to woodworm attack. Used both in solid and veneer forms until it was supplanted by mahogany in the mid 18th century. It found popularity again in the mid Victorian period. Black walnut, also know as Virginian walnut from North America was grown in England from the late 17th century and has a much darker colour.
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