19th century satinwood rosewood ebony colonial chest

Description

An unusual early 19th century colonial solid satinwood-faced chest of drawers with cupboards, ca 1820. The carcass of solid rosewood & ebony.

It features a broad cross-banded mitred ebony top.

An arrangement of working drawers above two cupboards faced with broadly chamfered fronts centred by roundels, and turned recessed pulls around a central arched recess.

Raised on short cabriole legs.

The angles unusually fluted, and sides with raised bold fielded panels.

Good colour and in original state.

Probably East India Company (VOC).

Rosewood was grown largely in Brazil and the Dutch East Indies. It comes in many varieties, some of which are fragrant when freshly cut, from which the name ‘rosewood’ is derived. In the solid it is extremely hard and heavy. The best ebony came from Ceylon and South India. Often used in inlays in the 17th and 18th centuries.