Chest Walnut and Sessile Oak Italy 19th Century

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.

Sessile Oak

Under the name of oak or oak various types of woods derived from plants of the genus quercus are grouped. They are always resistant, hard and compact woods. Oak is lighter than oak, both are used for more rustic furniture or for the interiors of French and English antique furniture. In other processes it was gradually replaced by the advent of exotic woods considered more valuable since the 18th century.