Empire Flame Mahogany Display Cabinet
A striking flame mahogany Empire style display cabinet, late 19th century, a mirror backed display cabinet with glass shelves, a single door flanked by pilasters with bronze stiff leaf mounts, the pair of doors to the lower register embellished with a sweeping bronze vegetal ornament centred with a tall torch, raised on short square section tapering legs with stiff leaf sabots, height 75.20 in., width 45.28 in., depth 18.90 in.
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- Bronze - An alloy of copper and tin, traditionally in the proportions of about 9 parts of copper to 1 part of tin.
The discovery of bronze in Western Asia in the 4th century enabled people to create metal objects which were superior to those previoulsy possible because of its strength and hardness, and it has been used throughout the world for weapons, coins, tools, statuary and other decorative items.
It is very fluid in a molten state, and its hardness, strength when set, and non-corrosive properties makes it most suitable for casting sculpture. - Mounts - Mounts are used to describe bronze, brass and ormolu adornments on furniture especially quality furniture in the rococo and classical revival style, and are also the cabinet makers' name for the metal fittings on furniture, such as hinges, locks and handles, and metal edges and guards which protect furniture from damage.
- 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. - Empire Style - The Empire style was a version of neo-classicism popular from 1800 to 1830, coinciding with the rule of Napoleon I from 1840-15. In England the style corrosponds with the Regency style and in the United States to the Federal style.
The style is inspired by classical Rome and Greece, as reflected in the decorative motifs in the the design such as paterae, guilloches, acanthus and swags, and pieces are lavishly decorated with applied gilded decoration. - Pilasters - In furniture a pilaster is a flattened column-like detail
applied to furniture. It is similar to a pilaster in architecture, but it is
typically smaller and less ornate. Pilasters are often used to decorate the
fronts of bookcases, cabinets, and other pieces of furniture. Pilasters can be
made of wood, metal, or other materials. They can be fluted, carved, or plain.
Pilasters are often used to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to
furniture.
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