Mahogany furniture 'was like gold'
28/07/2010
Pieces of English antique furniture crafted from mahogany were "like gold" in the mid-18th century.
Lanto Synge, author of Mallett Millennium, says the arrival of the wood in Britain at this time was seen as something of a risk.
It came from far away and only the richest of all could even aspire to acquire a mahogany item.
In modern-day furniture making it is considered a common material available to almost anybody, which is why "it is therefore difficult to understand now how special and how highly valued this material was in the 18th century", explains Mr Synge.
Pieces of antique furniture - especially those dating back into the 1700s - consequently remain prestigious and a symbol of status and style.
Leading London antiques dealer Mallett stocks a large range of items crafted from the wood that date back to this period, including a rare pair of finely carved George III mahogany armchairs originating in 1755.