Chest of Drawers with Inlays Italy Late 18th Century

Maple

Hard, light wood used for inlays. It grows mainly in Austria, but it is widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, from Japan to North America, passing through China and Europe. It is one of the lightest woods ever, tending to white, it is similar to lime or birch wood. The briar is used in the production of ancient secretaires .

Various Wood Essences

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.

Rosewood

Under the term Rosewood various exotic, hard and heavy woods have been united, characterized by a color that varies from pink to violet. Their origin is usually from Latin America, India and Africa and are still considered very valuable woods. Until the end of the eighteenth century, this name also referred to the bois de violette . In general, rosewood woods began to be imported into Europe starting in 1750 and were first used for veneers and inlays in England, flanked, by contrast, with lighter woods. Later, entire valuable furniture was manufactured both in England, mainly in the Regency style, and in France, starting from the Neoclassical period.