An unusual oak and mother of pearl inlaid chest on stand,…
click the photo to enlarge
An unusual oak and Mother of pearl inlaid chest on stand, 19th/20th century. 137 cm high, 70 cm wide, 46 cm deep

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.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • 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    Oak as a furniture timber was superceded by walnut in the 17th century, and in the 18th century by mahogany,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.
  • Mother-Of-Pearl - Mother-of-pearl, technical name "nacre", is the inner layer of a sea shell. The iridescent colours and strength of this material were widely used in the nineteenth century as an inlay in jewellery, furniture, (especially papier mache furniture) and musical instruments.

    In the early 1900s it was used to make pearl buttons. Mother-of-pearl is a soft material that is easily cut or engraved.

    Nowadays it is a by-product of the oyster, freshwater pearl mussel and abalone industries.
  • Inlay - Decorative patterns inserted into the main body of a piece of furniture, generally in wood of contrasting colour and grain, though brass, ivory, ebony, shell and sometimes horn have been used. Inlay may consist of a panel of well figured timber inset into a cabinet door front, geometric patterns, or complex and stylized designs of flowers, swags of foliage, fruits and other motifs. As a general rule, in pieces where the carcase is constructed in the solid, the inlay is relatively simple such as stringing, cross banding and herringbone banding. Where more elaborate and decorative work was required veneer was used. Inlay has been fashionable from at least the latter half of the 17th century, when a variety of elaborate forms were developed

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A Chinese display table, late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), 19/20th century, profusely carved and decorated with repeated dragons and other auspicious symbols, including the 'Shou' medallion symbol for longevity, the 'Chi' medallion of good fortune, and the 'X

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Charles II oak chest on stand, circa 1680 122 cm high, 96 cm wide, 56 cm deep

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Ming-style huanghuali open shelf cabinet with spindles and lattice-work Touling Jiage, 20th century, of rectangular form, divided by four horizontal shelves each with a slightly recessed panel within the rounded frame, the central shelves enclosed with v

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A Japanese bamboo and lacquer tambour compartment cabinet. Height 138 cm, width 85 cm, depth 34 cm.

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.