Exotic Woods in Antique Furniture May 2025 Newsletter

A knowledge of the woods used in any piece of antique furniture, or ornament, is a crucial necessity to understanding it.

Exotic woods were a popular choice, and played a significant role, in the design and construction of antique furniture, particularly during the 18th and 19th centuries, due to their beauty, durability, and the perceived luxury they offered.

While not as prevalent as in the 18th century, some exotic woods like ebony were already being used in European furniture in the 17th century, particularly in Dutch furniture.

But in the 18th century (Georgian and Regency periods) there was an enormous increase in the importation of woods into Britain. New territories were being explored, so new species were being discovered, and trade was developing through companies like the East India Company. The use of exotic woods reflected a growing fascination with foreign lands and cultures, and the accessibility of these materials through trade and colonisation. Rosewood and mahogany were extremely popular, with mahogany becoming the defining wood of the Georgian period.

In the late 18th and early 19th century (Regency and William IV periods) exotic woods became even more fashionable because of the new-found accessibility to the exotic, unfamiliar, and rare, which was extremely desirable. Society was more concerned with the aesthetics of the piece, how it looked, as opposed to merely its functional practicality. Consequently, exotic woods became highly sought after due to their unusual colours, grains, textures and thus, visual impact.

Exotic woods were favoured by the upper echelons of society as only the wealthy could afford their stylish elegance. They can be described as luxury woods because they were used for excellent furniture and decorative work, seldom for everyday construction. Because they were sought in remote lands, such as Ceylon, Brazil and the Guianas, they were never inexpensive.

Popular choices of exotic woods were: mahogany, teak, rosewood, walnut, ebony, coromandel/calamander, goncalo alves, purpleheart and padoukwood.

We have a number of items in our collection featuring exotic woods, some of which I hope you will enjoy looking at below.

If you are interested in any, or have a specific requirement or interest, please get in touch and I’ll do my very best to help you.

Best wishes,

Simon