A Fine Honduras Mahogany Collectors Cabinet Circa 1860. The Property of the Late John Charles Dale. (1791-1872).

Name: A Fine Honduras Mahogany Collectors Cabinet Circa 1860. The Property of the Late John Charles Dale. (1791-1872).
Brand: Antique
SKU: SA707111
Availability: SoldOut

19th century

Sold by Atropos Antiques

Description

A superb and historically important twelve drawer mahogany collectors cabinet with compartments to each side of the bank of drawers, originally the property of john charles dale, easily describable as the father of british entomology in the 19th century and responsible for the discovery and naming of many insects including the lulworth skipper butterfly.

This is a very rare opportunity to own an item of furniture that was once the possession of a very famous man. What darwin was to evolution, dale was to the development and understanding of entomology in the british isles and the world.

Fashioned from highly figured honduras mahogany with ebony stringing to the side compartment doors and turned bone knobs to the drawers. Each drawer has a glazed frame to the top and the inside bases of the drawers are lined with cork under paper. The drawers bear witness in a fantastic way to dale's collection in that they carry a 'turin shroud' shadow effect left by his collection of insect specimens! Dales collection is held within the collections at the hope department, oxford university museum, oxford.

The cabinet comes with a unique scrap of paper bearing dales hand writing and listing locations where he collected. He thought nothing of riding on horseback for distances often exceeding forty miles to visit collecting grounds.

Registered for ivory content. Reg no. A211km4k.

Height. 31.5 inches.

Width. 36 inches.

Front to back. 21.25 inches.

Drawers. 18 by 18 by 2 inches.

Apart from it's original use this historic cabinet could house a multitude of collectables.

All questions welcome and visits to our dedicated showrooms are a pleasure.

Physical Dimensions

Height

80cm (31.50")

Width

92cm (36.22")

Depth

54cm (21.26")

Declaration

Atropos Antiques has dated this piece to the 1860s.

Reference Numbers

Sellingantiques Reference

SA707111

Dealers Internal Reference

GM/DALE/A

Dealers Notes

georgemorgan90@gmail.com

Description

“

This is a very rare opportunity to own an item of furniture that was once the possession of a very famous man.

Atropos Antiques

What darwin was to evolution, dale was to the development and understanding of entomology in the british isles and the world.

fig 1. A FINE HONDURAS MAHOGANY COLLECTORS CABINET CIRCA 1860. THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE JOHN CHARLES DALE. (1791-1872). — fig 1. A Fine Honduras Mahogany Collectors Cabinet Circa 1860. The Property of the Late John Charles Dale. (1791-1872).

Fashioned from highly figured honduras mahogany with ebony stringing to the side compartment doors and turned bone knobs to the drawers. Each drawer has a glazed frame to the top and the inside bases of the drawers are lined with cork under paper. The drawers bear witness in a fantastic way to dale's collection in that they carry a 'turin shroud' shadow effect left by his collection of insect specimens! Dales collection is held within the collections at the hope department, oxford university museum, oxford.

fig 2. A FINE HONDURAS MAHOGANY COLLECTORS CABINET CIRCA 1860. THE PROPERTY OF THE LATE JOHN CHARLES DALE. (1791-1872). — fig 2. A Fine Honduras Mahogany Collectors Cabinet Circa 1860. The Property of the Late John Charles Dale. (1791-1872).

The cabinet comes with a unique scrap of paper bearing dales hand writing and listing locations where he collected. He thought nothing of riding on horseback for distances often exceeding forty miles to visit collecting grounds.