An important English mahogany washstand, belonging to famed…
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An important English mahogany washstand, belonging to famed English explorer Dr. Livingstone. With label & newspaper clipping under the lid. 'This washstand was the property of & in use by the late Dr. Livingstone, Explorer, & was given by him in 1858 to the late Mr. McHaffie of 29 Oxford St, London, on his departure to Zanzibar....'. Scottish born Livingstone, the pioneer medical missionary was obsessed with discovering the source of the Nile River, & the expression 'Dr. Livingstone I presume' was coined upon H.M Stanley's discovery of Livingstone in a less than healthy state in November 1871. 77high, 57 cm wide, 51 cm deep.

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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.
  • Important - Important is a word used in the antique trade to indicate an object should be ranked above other similar objects, and is therefore more valuable.

    The object could be considered important because it is by a famous designer or maker, has been shown at a major exhibition, is of exquisite workmanship, is rare or is a "one-off", was made for an important patron, and so on.

    Even further up the pecking order are objects that are described in catalogue descriptions as highly important or extraordinarily important.

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