Aesthetic Mahogany Side Table by James Shoolbred
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.
- Signed or Stamped - A signed piece of furniture may mean that the maker has signed (and hopefully dated) the piece in the same way that we sign a cheque, but more likely, that it bears evidence of the name of the maker, wholesaler or retailer as a paper label, metal plaque, impressed into the timber or in later pieces after about 1880, stamped onto the timber with an ink stamp.
The 'signature' or stamp will always be in an unobtrusive position: under the top of a table, on the underside of the rails of a chair, inside a drawer or on the back.
The fact that a piece is 'signed' considerably enhances its value. Signed Australian furniture is extremely rare, and for imported furniture, it is a mark of quality of the item, as only the items by the top makers or retailers were 'signed' - Verso - Verso is the "back" side of a sheet of paper, art work, coin or medal. The front side is "recto".
- 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.
This item has been included into following indexes:
Visually similar items
A Carpanelli maple, Macassar ebony, ebonised and mother of pearl inlaid side table, circa 1980s, the rectangular top inlaid with diamond cartouches, above intersecting angular supports, 76 cm high, 150 cm wide, 42 cm deep
A small oak Arts & Crafts occasional table or planter stand, circa 1920s, a square table with a shaped apron and angled tapering legs united by an undertier. Height 75 cm, length 40 cm, width 40 cm
A George III mahogany four poster canopy bed
Arne Jacobsen for Fritz Hansen, dining table of rectangular from with metal legs. Length 120 cm. Height 71 cm. Width 80 cm