Furniture Feature – Moorabool Antique Galleries

This handsome large piece of early Oak furniture is sometimes called a ‘Court Cupboard’, although this should really refer to a more open version intended to display the wealth of a household for all to see. With its enclosed doors, this example fits the definition of ‘cwpwrdd deuddarn‘, meaning ‘cupboard two-piece’. This literally describes their construction, in two parts, a feature that was not necessary in a construction sense, but certainly a help when being moved – speaking from practical experience!

They have their origins in the Medieval period, where a large, solid cupboard would act as a safe place to stash your valuables. Housed in the main chamber. they were the equivalent of a sideboard. You could keep all your pottery platters, mugs, the pewter – and in wealthier households, any silver plate that was needed to impress guests. The tops would surely have made a fine display space for status symbols such as nicely polished brassware and blue & white delft.

The Deuddarn presently at Moorabool Antiques, Geelong

What makes this example particularly appealing is the colour; it has a lovely honey tone, with an excellent patination. Some can appear ‘black’, and on closer examination, there is a layer of dark varnish over the oak. This varnish was a favorite of the Victorians who believed anything old, large & heavy had to be blackened to look authentic….

The date is original; it is wise to view such dates with scepticism, as they were also a favorite alteration of genuine pieces undertaken by the Victorians; however, the patination is consistent and the carving harmonious .

The initials are another part of the story; the represent a marriage, with the family name in the center starting with ‘F’. Their names were ‘W’ and ‘M’ – let’s call them ‘Wmffre & Megan Fluellen’. This lavish piece of furniture was commissioned for the well-to-do couple in 1694, quite possibly as a marriage piece.

In the wonderful 2-volume book on ‘Welsh Furniture’ by Richard Bebb, it was a pleasant surprise to discover a remarkably similar example. Page 325 bears several deuddarn examples from different regions, but no. 567 stands out: when viewed next to our example, we see the same principal construction methods, the same details such as the pendants or ‘droppers’ on the upper corners, but most of all, the doors have the same carving. This elaborate series of scrollwork is almost Celtic in appearance, and this is no coincidence; a strong association with the distant past was always present amongst the Welsh, and their ancient pagan memories of ritual spirals representing eternal truths were surely echoed in these designs.

The book places the origin of this piece as ‘possibly Breconshire’, a region of central Wales. Such opinions of regional styles are formed by furniture connoisseurs over a lifetime, depending on examining pieces that are in situ in undisturbed family farmhouses , and especially in the small local parish churches. What is fascinating is the dates found on both these very similar pieces. Our example is dated 1694; theirs is 8 years later, 1702. There are differences in the layout of the doors, and the doors on ours are all carved vs, just the top 3 of the illustrated. However, the similarities allow us to attribute this magnificent piece to ‘possibly Breconshire’, and isn’t it great to have an actual date – 1694 – rather than having to take a ‘Circa’ guess!

See this magnificent piece here >>

Large Welsh Oak Cwpwrdd Deuddarn cupboard, superb patina, carved date 1694

Rosewood is a stunning exotic timber with a fascinating story.

Work box c.1840 | Tea Caddy c.1835 | Glove box c.1835 | Card table c.1840 | Musical work box, fully fitted interior c.1835

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The name ‘Rosewood’ brought up all kinds of imaginative scenes in my young mind – imagine, a rose bush so large you could make furniture from its trunk! What a sight!

Reality is much simpler; Rosewood is a tropical hardwood timber, named so as the sweet smell when cut was said to resemble the scent of roses. The original timber used by the English cabinetmakers of the 18th & 19th century came from Brazil – Brazilian Rosewood, Dalbergia Nigra. This tree grows to a reasonable size, and the cabinet makers were able to use decent logs for solid furniture construction, as well as achieve wide segments of veneer by slicing the widest logs. The resulting timber is a superb dark, dense grain with lighter patches – known as ‘figuring’ – giving a great contrasting effect.

Rosewood, *Dalbergia Nigra*, freshly cut, from Brazil.

The D. Nigra trees were once easily accessible, but as the European demand for the timber grew, the source-trees were logged out. Another source was found for another similar ‘Rosewood’, in the same family but from south-east India: Dalbergia Latifolia. This has a more uniform & tighter appearance to the figuring in the grain.

Brazilian Rosewood - D. nigra — Brazilian Rosewood – *D. nigra* – in a plantation, 40 years old

Many other members of the family Dalbergia were found around the globe, with the list of woods known as ‘Rosewood’ lengthening to 20 species, distributed from the Amazon, through central America & into Mexico, right across South-East Asia, India, and Madagascar. In Africa, several different species with similar appearance were also found and exploited. In China, the local species Dalbergia odorifera was always a prized wood for furniture, known as ‘Chinese Rosewood’ or Huanghuali, sometimes shortened to Huali.

Huge numbers were used for furniture by the Europeans, who prized it for the dark luxury it created. The Regency period pieces, with inlaid pearlshell cut-outs, transforms it into the equivalent of a semi-precious stone.

Pearl inlay Rosewood — Mother-Of-Pearl inlaid into Rosewood, a favourite of the Regency period in England.

With Europe’s demand, supply became scarcer, and taste moved on: by the later 19th century, Rosewood becomes a rarity in furniture making. However, with the globalisation of the timber trade in the latter 20th century, particularly the insatiable appetite for exotic woods for plywood veneer, substitutes were found – and they too were logged massively. Right across South America, and South-East Asia, and India, substitute dark-grained woods were extensively harvested. With the rise of China in the 21st century, ‘Rosewood’ was in huge of demand, and so UNESCO was forced to step in due to the over-exploitation of the various species. In the 2010’s, over 300 different species labelled ‘Rosewood’ were protected by legislation, slowing down the surge, but also creating a black market for illegal logging. It is hopeful that carefully managed plantation-grown trees will mean a sustainable future for this lovely timber is possible.

Rosewood tea caddy with original interior, c.1835

How pleasing it is to look at these superb Antique pieces – from a different age, when there was a plentiful supply of this beautiful timber – and craftsmen knew how to skilfully turn it into quality items that have survived into the present.