Writing Desk Cherry Italy XIX Century - Italy Mid 19th century

Silver Fir

Soft coniferous wood, used for rustic furniture or to build the chest, that is the structure, of furniture then veneered in more precious woods. It has been used since ancient times, its most valuable use is, in the Spruce variant, in the inlays of French antique furniture of the '700 . The spruce, more typical of northern Europe, in Italy grows mainly in the Eastern Alps at altitudes above 1300 m. The noblest use of this essence was in the construction of violins, guitars and cellos: Stradivari himself produced his famous violins with this wood.

Cherry

Obtained from prunus cerasus , a plant of oriental origin, it is a hard wood with a light and delicate color, with a reddish vein. Due to its diffusion and availability it was used in Europe in popular furniture. In cabinet making, in the seventeenth century, it was widely used in France and England for inlay work. In Italy it was very successful in Lucca. It was also very popular in the United States for the manufacture, from the late 1600s, of commonly used furniture.
The dictionary of antiques: Eclecticism
Classic Monday: a sofa from the 1800s example of eclecticism

Walnut

Walnut wood comes from the plant whose botanical name is juglans regia , probably originally from the East but very common in Europe. Light or dark brown in color, it is a hard wood with a beautiful grain, widely used in antique furniture. It was the main essence in Italy throughout the Renaissance and later had a good diffusion in Europe, especially in England, until the advent of mahogany. It was used for solid wood furniture and sometimes carvings and inlays, its only big limitation is that it suffers a lot from woodworm. In France it was widely used more than anything else in the provinces. In the second half of the eighteenth century its use decreased significantly because mahogany and other exotic woods were preferred.

Leather

Walnut

Duffle