18th Century Oak Housekeeper's Sideboard/Secrétaire from Shropshire
You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.
Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item
When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.
- Oak - Native to Europe and England, oak has been used for joinery, furniture and building since the beginning of the medieval civilisation. It is a pale yellow in colour when freshly cut and darkens with age to a mid brown colour.
Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,
Semi-fossilised bog oak is black in colour, and is found in peat bogs where the trees have fallen and been preserved from decay by the bog. It is used for jewellery and small carved trinkets.
Pollard oak is taken from an oak that has been regularly pollarded, that is the upper branches have been removed at the top of the trunk, result that new branches would appear, and over time the top would become ball-like. . When harvested and sawn, the timber displays a continuous surface of knotty circles. The timber was scarce and expensive and was used in more expensive pieces of furniture in the Regency and Victorian periods.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
An Australian ceder two door gents robe, South Australian origin, mid 19th century, unusual architectural design, full ceder secondary timbers, 234 cm high, 98 cm wide, 53 cm deep
An early 18th century oak and elm dresser with pierced scalloped cornice above open shelves, the base with six drawers, and enclosed cupboards; shaped feet. Width 161 cm
An impressive George IV flame mahogany secretaire press cupboard, circa 1830, the writing section with an arrangement of drawers and compartments above three graduated drawers, 238 cm high, 125 cm wide, 54 cm deep
A William IV flame mahogany three door linen press, circa 1830, 187.5 x 228.5 x 64.5 cm